Bitter UNIONS
by Team04Phantom
Summary: First installment of the Danny's Story series. He knew the minute his dad suggested to spend Thanksgiving week in Wisconsin that there'd be trouble but he never imagined what actually happened. Struggling to separate fantasy from reality, Danny's world comes crashing around him when he agrees to one week with Vlad. His life will never be the same. Rated for graphic rape.
1. Chapter 1

**Danny's Story, Part 1:**

**Bitter UNIONS**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom. Scenes from "Bitter Reunions" belong to Butch Hartman, Nickelodeon and company.**

**AN: This story contains graphic rape scenes in future chapters. Rated for explicit sex scenes, rape, slash, and language.**

**Chapter One: Mystery**

It was Friday, November 26, 2004 and I was a hundred miles from home. My parents received an invitation to their college reunion and decided our entire family should attend the event. I had attempted everything in my power to prevent the trip but my parents had been adamant. We were staying with an old college pal of my parents named Vlad Masters. The man was legendary in our corner of the country and probably known throughout the world for his incredible wealth but there was something not quite right about him to me.

Everything had been going smoothly in the three days we had been staying with the billionaire even if things had been a little creepy. The man was supposedly closest to my father; however, what I had observed was his obsession with being alone with my mother. With my experience with my gut, I never left the man alone with my mother; I was always within earshot. In the three months that I've had my powers, I've come to trust my gut. (Okay, it has only been two months, four weeks and two days or 91 days; but who's counting. Anyway, tomorrow will definitely be three months.)

As I turned in for the evening, my room being directly beside my parent's room, I had planned to get some much-needed rest. I nestled down into the covers, not really cold but enjoying the oversized hug they gave me, and prepared for sleep. Just as sleep started to overcome me, I felt the chill of a ghost sense. "Oh, great," I managed a sleepily come-back, "a working vacation." It wouldn't matter that no one else's ears would hear the quip.

I transformed into my alternate ego, Danny Phantom, and floated out of the bear-like covers. Sending my mind out to the area, I searched for the essence of any ghost that might have triggered my ghost sense. Strangely, no such sense reached me. Well, if it's a weak ghost, which is highly likely, it might not be detectable until I'm closer. Considering the ground my ghost sense covers, the ghost could be anywhere but also taking the location of the Masters' Castle into consideration, I'd bet it's somewhere in these halls.

As I floated down the halls, I picked something up with my senses. Focusing on the emotion, I detected that it was human. Mr. Masters had a full working staff to accommodate the needs of the reunion guests, meaning it could have been a number of people. I was careful as I approached the human as only two concerned me: my parents. When the signature became its strongest, I wasn't too surprised to discover my dad.

My dad was well beyond the qualification for half-asleep so I didn't fear exposure. When you're in my predicament, that is changing your DNA profile and not telling your parents, the window to confess is short. My time to inform my parents of the true extent of my accident had expired three weeks after the accident. Exposure wasn't an option and that was something I had come to understand. My parents would overcrowd me for what happened and I would never be trusted again.

I prepared to continue my search for the ghost that triggered my ghost sense when I picked up another signature. It took me a few moments, but I pieced together the reason I couldn't sense them before. When I last saw them, if they hadn't been attacking the citizens of my town and causing the humans to scream, I would have never caught up to them as quickly as I had. Ghost animals, despite their strength or their age, are harder to track because of the lack of development. Ghosts of deceased humans were always the easiest to track, closely followed by ghosts of alien civilizations.

I knew what they wanted but I couldn't wrap my mind around why they'd go to such lengths to get it. I phased through the floorboards, gently phasing my dad through the floor. Like I said, he was well beyond half-asleep and he wouldn't wake up if a semi came crashing through the castle. I pondered where he might be heading and only two thoughts came to mind. Only two things mattered to Dad enough to disrupt sleep; I had a hint as to what had disturbed his slumber this evening.

I entered into the bathroom, leaving him to do his business. After all, it wasn't only he who had business to tend to. Below the floorboards of the hallway, I opened my mind to root out where the birds were. Their energies were faint, but I could tell where each of the three vulture-ghosts were at. I phased through the floorboards to float behind them, five feet off the ground. The vultures still hadn't a clue as to what had interrupted them so I decided to fill the clueless birds in. I smacked my hands together, ready to teach them a lesson: "Remember me?"

The vultures spun around, their energies flaring around their bodies. However, upon sight of me, their glows dimmed to a simple flicker, revealing their terror. I looked on, surprised, as the birds shrieked in pure, unadulterated terror. I felt myself relax, still confused but refusing to question the response I got. "That was almost too easy," I commented to no one, going over the scene in my head.

"Ah," a deep voice, dripping in authority, elaborated from behind me. I spun around instantly at the intruder, "bright boy."

The ghost that filled my view should have reached my senses. Everything about this ghost reeked power. He floated in the air, easily eight to ten feet above the ground, his shoulders squared. His off-white costume with bold black borders was coupled with a red cape with white reverse. The cape lightly billowed behind him, despite there not being a breeze.

The ghosts gave me a wide grin, tantalizing me. The dim lights glistened off his sparkling white parody of a smile but what caught my attention the most was the discoloration of his skin. In the dark confines of the hallway, an off-blue tint stood out on his face. His red eyes—glowing a deep crimson red—shown at me were lacking the irises and the pupils. The ghost looked absolutely crazy but I put up my best façade.

"I was aiming for the birds," I said, hoping to persuade him to back off, "but you'll do!"

I charged at the ghost but he remained unmoved. I didn't really want to hurt him, so I threw out a lazy punch but he easily caught my hand. The thoughts of chasing after the birds left my mind as dealing with the here and now replaced it. The ghost tossed me effortlessly into the brick wall and I slammed into it, despite not preparing to hit something of this realm. I shook the debris from my hair, trying to remove the stars as well. Why am I feeling pain and hitting walls when I'd never done so before?

I shook that thought from my head, focusing on another. Okay, he's better than I anticipated. I wasn't worried though, considering I was the reigning champion of the ghost hunters youth camp. I didn't get there by taking the easy way out. As soon as I blinked away the stars, I charged at him again.

The ghost reached out again, this time taking my throat in his hands. When his hands constricted, I felt my mind paralyze. Stupid, you don't need to breathe, I tried to tell myself but I couldn't stuff away the fear the action brought. You don't need air in ghost form, I tried to reason with my oxygen-starved brain but it wouldn't listen. It desperately cried out to breathe though even if he did release my throat, I couldn't take as much as a calming breath.

The ghost tossed me aside and I slammed into the floor of the hallway. I sat up, ignoring the pain in my back from slamming into the concrete. Why am I feeling pain? I've slammed into buildings and pavement, breaking the masonry, and I wouldn't feel a thing. Now I'm hitting walls and floors, barely causing any damage and I'm inwardly wincing? What the heck is going on?

"The vultures were supposed to bring the big idiot to me," the ghost began, cutting off my silent questions, "but you'll do," he mocked me. "Danny Phantom, right?"

"Y-you know me," I asked, confused. I'd never met this ghost before—heck, he was in Wisconsin for crying out loud—and he knew my name. The people in my town don't know the ghosts exist or know that the kid who chases away the 'monsters' isn't really called Pale-face Boy. How does he know my name? However, before he answered me he phased through the wall and into another room.

I had to know more. I phased into the room with him, watching as he crossed his arms across his chest. "Of course I know you," the ghost declared, his voice rising in aggravation. "You're the ghost who uses his powers for good," he said, slurring the word, "how quaint! Aren't you going to shove me in your ridiculous thermos?"

The ghost got right in my face, taunting me. I can't stand it when people I don't know invade my privacy so I backed away instinctively. "Get away!" I shot a ghost ray at him, attempting to scare him away.

The ghost brought up a shield, blocking my blast. "Aw, an ectoplasm energy blast," the ghost teased, "how year one." He squared his shoulders again, as a lump forming in my throat. I'm sure if I had a heart to race, it would be by now. "Tell me child," he teased, "can you do this yet?"

A purple glow enveloped his body and a moment later a copy of himself appeared a few inches beside him. I stared in shock, watching the ghost multiply not once, not twice but three times. Four of the same ghost, identical clones, stared at me, their eyes displaying the pure joy he was experiencing from my fear. I'm beginning to get why the vultures ran.

"No," I cried, looking for a place to run, "I can't! How are you doing this?" They were surrounding me on all sides. I'm trapped!

"Years of practice," the ghost remarked, the clones of himself adding depth to the echo all ghosts had. "Something you don't have time for."

I couldn't think clearly. Every fiber in my body was screaming at me to run but my path was blocked. "I-I don't want to fight you," I replied, trying to sound like it was for his own good and not mine. I wanted to appear strong. However, I can't help get the feeling that the scared child I felt like was showing.

He saw right through me, of course. "No, no you don't." His hands powered up, a strange purple glow encasing his hands like my green ecto-energy. I looked to the other three, their hands copying the original. I couldn't deny, I was scared.

I didn't care that I had taken a vow to never surrender, I wanted to run but there was nowhere to go. The first ghost sent the blast out at me, the other three's hitting at the same time as his. I screamed out, not from fear but from actual pain. The four blasts slammed into me like nothing I'd ever experienced before, causing me to collapse to the floor.

The three ghosts descended while the original remained in the air. I came to my feet, sending a blast at the first one I saw but he merely swatted it away. I crouched, ready to fight my way out of here. I didn't care what it'd take, I wouldn't go down without a fight. The two others I hadn't fired on surrounded me, one on each side.

I panicked, not knowing what to do but I refused to show how scared I really was. I kept trying to suck in a breath of air, a technique that usually caused me to stop and figure things out but my stupid ghost body didn't have any lungs. No amount of sucking in air would calm me down, completely paralyzing me. The two ghosts moved in, their forms looming over my already crouched body. They both reached out in synch, grabbing one arm apiece.

I thrashed around, trying to be free of their holds but they were too coordinated. It was a perfect technique; there was no need for practicing or worrying about someone else screwing up the formation. One brain controlled them all and it was as if he was playing a video game. In a video game, there are fewer variables because you can watch the scene from above, from a removed location. The original sat above all our heads, using his mind like the ultimate controller.

The third clone, the one I shot at, floated towards me, exiting my vision as he came up from behind. A pressure formed around the base of my neck, squeezing until I couldn't move my neck to look at anything. The instant pressure brought about a pain sensation that caused me to stop my thrashing. I grunted as I tried to wiggle out of the third clone's grip but it was vice-like. The three ghosts lifted me up in the air all the while gaining more control over my every movement.

One thought rang out in my head: I'm going to die. As soon as these three clones have me where the original wants me, he would take over and finish the job. I could feel the tears pricking at the corner of my eyes as realization came over me that this was my last moments. I'd never see my family again. I wouldn't graduate high school.

Then, suddenly the three ghosts had me in a fast procession back to the ground. A table from below fell into perfect alignment and I was sure it'd bust it into a million pieces. However, as I made contact with the table, no painful slamming from above (they didn't slam into the table), I discovered why they didn't worry about it breaking: it was marble. I groaned as my full front came into contract with the hard surface. The ghosts secured my arms by my side, one hand replaced by another.

One ghost, then the second and finally the third in a slow order gathered in front of me, each wearing a sickening smile. My arms were held in place by the original I'd imagined but I couldn't figure out why he'd need to go through all this to kill me. I felt the ghost's weight shift but out of the corner of my eye, I saw a purple light. Fearfully, I looked up to watch the three vanish. Finally, the ghost released my hands to grab the back of my neck.

The force he placed on my neck sent shots of pain throughout my body. He kept adding the pressure, forcing an excruciating yell to escape my lips. Tears flooded my eyes and I felt the cool liquid run down my cheeks. I was crying. I haven't cried since the portal accident and before then it'd been years. I noticed his lips brush my ears from behind: "If you think that hurts, boy, just wait."

The ghost slipped his hands around my waist, jerking me into a keeling position. Balling up his fists, he jerked me backwards. A large, shooting pain entered my mind, the pain growing to my backbone. I let out a strangled scream, the tears falling in a free flow. The ghost pushed and pulled me, sending knives in my mind. I screamed and cried, desperate to escape but nothing I tried would earn me any freedom.

I don't know how long that lasted but all I know is I heard his grunt from behind and his hands relaxed. I fell to the table, pain enveloping my entire form. The ghost collapsed on top of me unexpectedly, trapping me below his form. I felt this was my chance, pulling from beneath him and not daring to look back. I wanted out of this place and I would do anything to escape.

I phased through any solid object I came to but my energy levels were dropping fast. I phased through a door, collapsing to my hands and knees. I tried crawling away, praying to escape but I felt that too failing me. I collapsed, feeling darkness consume me. I fought the darkness, knowing he was just a few rooms away, but I felt the rings slip over my waist and everything went black.

XXX

He had me trapped, nowhere to run. I looked around wildly but I could find no way out. The ghost cornered me, his grin wide and menacing.

"I have you, child," he said, his voice sickeningly deep, "and you will be mine."

I felt my back hit the wall and my mind froze. He closed the space between us, pulling me to him. I looked around wildly, but there was nowhere to go. "No."

"You're mine," he whispered, causing my stomach to lurch. No, not again. "and you won't escape me this time." He leaned in, closing his eyes.

"No," I cried as he came in closer. Please, God, no. "Get away!"

XXX

"Get away," I screamed, awakening from my nightmare. I looked around, seeing I was back in my guest bedroom. What the-? How did I get here? "What happened?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing, young man," a voice replied. I nearly jumped, thinking it was the ghost from earlier. I looked up to see Mr. Masters enter into the room.

"Oh," I said, putting my hand behind my neck, "I must be still worn out from the long car ride. I'll be okay in the morning. Sorry for the scare." I hoped he wouldn't see through the lie. I have been here for more than 24 hours.

"Oh, what's a little scare between friends," Mr. Masters joked. I smiled back at him. He may have something for my mom, but he's not a bad man. "Sleep tight, Little Badger!" Mr. Masters exited my guest bedroom, closing the door.

"Goodnight," I called, lowering myself in my bed. I still had a lot on my mind but I wanted to put his mind at ease. There was no need for him to wake my parents up. It's not like I could tell them the truth anyway.

My mind went over the events of earlier but everything seemed so fuzzy. Could it be? I had just told Mr. Masters that because it sounded plausible but… a crazy ghost, who is stronger than me, all the way out here in Wisconsin. I mean, he knew my name and I was actually feeling pain. That's not something I feel every day. I closed my eyes, pinching my arm. When nothing returned to my sensors, I knew the truth. "It was just a dream," I declared.

XXX

Not all of it had been a dream, though. The next day, at the reunion, Vlad had revealed his true self to me. A half ghost like myself, Vlad has had the time to learn the trade and was considerably more talented than I was. I had only one choice when he attacked my family and he fell for it. I prayed I'd never see him again and locked that night away and tried to hide the key.

However, as it is with my life, as soon as that week was over, the resuming of school had begun with Spirit Week. We all know how that ended, of course. I thought about asking Jazz for her opinion about what happened but Jazz doesn't believe in ghosts. I didn't want to start another fight; I felt terrible as it was. I went along with my life, carrying this heavy burden. However, the one person I wouldn't be able to hide it from was Brit.

Brit Calloway lived in Amity Park her entire life until sixth grade. She lived right across the street from me but I never met her until kindergarten. Brit always tried to 'infiltrate' our defenses but Tuck and I were uninterested in hanging out with her. When Sam came along, though, things changed. Meeting Sam made me believe that Brit could be a valuable asset so we included her in our ranks. Brit and Sam appeared to never get along that well, though, for reasons I have yet to determine. Then in sixth grade, our entire lives changed.

Since I was a little boy, I've called Tucker's parents Mom and Dad Number Two and Brit's parents Mom and Dad Number Three. Tucker and Brit have called my parent's Mom and Dad Number Two and each other's parents Number Three. In sixth grade, Mom Number Three was diagnosed with cancer and was stupid enough to move to Texas even though Mom was a doctor and one of the best clinic's was in Chicago, four hours from here. I still love her but she allowed her sister, Nancy, talk her into moving in with her where Mom Number Three grew up.

Nancy hates Illinois. It's not a state thing; it's because of us. When the Calloway's moved to Illinois from Texas, they became closer to us than Nancy. So when Nancy got them down in Texas, she blocked the entire 618 area code from her phone. I hadn't talked to Brit for months before I finally got my ghost hunting team phone. The team phone had a 1-800 number and we could once again chat.

Brit is something else. She is everything Sam is not. While Sam enjoys thrillers and slasher films, Brit enjoys romantic comedies and cute little movies about animals. I'm on Sam's side here. However, something Brit hasn't grown out of yet is cartoons. She still checks out what Disney (a virtual pariah for Sam) and Nickelodeon crank out and she never misses a Pixar release (okay, neither do Tucker or I but we tell Sam we're studying).

Brit called me one evening which was completely normal but she was acting strangely this time. Brit is strange, don't get me wrong, but she was acting weirder than Brit and let me tell you, that is not easy. She finally blurted out if I had walked into a ghost portal and turned myself half ghost. It was April 3, 2004 when this happened, four months and three weeks before the actual accident. Needless to say, I burst out laughing.

On August 27, 2004 I called her back and apologized, saying it as guess who's not laughing now.

Brit was furious that I hadn't took her warning serious. I did, though; I took it really serious. I didn't want to be anywhere near that portal when my parents told me finally what the mystery project was. When they were working on it, no one was allowed in the lab and they never talked about it. I didn't know about it until that fateful Friday afternoon. When Sam and Tucker asked to see it, I couldn't tell them no.

I tripped and became half ghost for it.

I listened to the sending tone, waiting for Brit to pick up. Today was Friday, December 3, 2004.

"Hey, Danny," Brit greeted me.

"Hello," I replied, sighing from the day I had.

"What happened," Brit asked immediately.

"Has the show said anything about Spirit Week," I asked, groaning.

"Spectra," Brit said, immediately, "Danny, you need to listen to me. Jazz knows your secret!"

I laughed, "Oh, come on, Brit. Jazz? She doesn't even believe in ghosts."

"You're laughing at me," Brit said, incredulous. "Do you not remember what you had to do three months later when you laughed at me last?"

"Brit, come on. Jazz doesn't believe in ghosts. I know she helped me beat Spectra," I started.

"She used something called the Fenton-peeler, didn't she," Brit interrupted, her voice monotone. "It covers the entire body. Spectra peeled away like a banana until nothing but an old wrinkling form remained. She cried about being nothing without her youth. Your pun of the day was 'talk about having nothing within!" Brit's voice rose after every account.

"Close," I said, feeling my throat constrict. Breathe, Danny, Jazz can't know. "But Spectra didn't dissolve down to an old woman. We destroyed the host she was controlling and she was revealed as a formless black shadow. That was her true form."

"The show got something else wrong," Brit said, dejected.

"Yeah," I said, my voice even. "and if they said Jazz knew my secret, they got that wrong too."

"Danny, I really believe they got that right. Come on, didn't she pull you aside when you were eating supper and ask you to talk to her?"

I paused, my breathing stopping.

"Danny?"

"They put that in the cartoon," I asked, horrified.

"Danny?"

"That had nothing to do with a ghost attack! Well, at least not this one…"

"Daniel James Fenton, you tell me this instant what is going on in your life," Brit said, her voice more fearful than angry.

"Has a ghost named Plasmius been on the show before," I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. Images flooded my mind. I fought against them but it was no use.

"Vlad Masters," Brit said. "Bitter Reunions. He wants to kill Dad and marry Mom. When did he show up?"

"Last week," I said, my voice still low as a tear slipped down my face. I wiped it away angrily. "Dang it all! Why does this keep happening?"

"What happened, Danny?"

"I-I don't know if anything happened," I said, trying to control my nerves. "I think he messed with my mind, Brit. I keep having these reoccurring nightmares. I keep having these memories that I don't remember experiencing… then I do and… I just don't understand." I tried to keep myself from breaking but speaking it aloud was more difficult than I thought. I began to sob softly, trying to stop before Brit heard.

"Danny, what do your memories say," Brit asked me. She was trying to be firm. Her father is the reason Jazz wants to become a therapist and Brit's had plenty of practice as well.

"I don't know if I can speak it," I whispered, controlling my sobs.

"Just try."

"I-I think… but he couldn't. I would remember that… wouldn't I?"

"Danny, focus," Brit said, trying to keep me calm.

I took a deep breath, removing myself as far away from the memory as I could. I'm not talking about myself. I'm talking about something else. I'm watching Special Victims Unit… that's it. "H-h…raped…m-m" I said, my throat catching on hh and mm. I was unable to put he and me in that sentence.

Brit had not expected that sentence to come out of my mouth because I heard the phone clatter to the ground. I panicked, hanging up the phone burying my head in my hands. I can't believe I said that. Why did I tell her that? It didn't happen! It was just a stupid dream. I tried to get it to start again. As much as it annoyed me before, the voice I heard before all this happened did keep me sane… if that even makes sense. Now… he was becoming silent.

XXX

Every time Brit called my 1 800 number, I ignored it. How could I face her… or hear her as it is… after what I'd did. Eventually, I knew I had to call her back. It wouldn't surprise me if she walked from Texas to Illinois. If you love someone enough, you'd do anything for them. I loved her with all my heart (in a sister kind of way) and I knew she returned that affection. I finally broke down and told her everything I knew. She begged me to tell Mom and Dad but I couldn't. What would I say, anyway?

"Danny, sweetheart, come here before you go upstairs," Mom called as I came in the door. I dropped my backpack on the floor by the stairs, entering into the kitchen.

"Yeah, Mom," I asked. I looked around the room and I saw both Mom and Dad staring at me. I felt my face drain of color. Why are they having an intervention?

"Sweetheart, have a seat," Mom said, motioning for the seat.

I took a seat nervously, praying against prayer; hoping against hope this has nothing to do with a) ghost powers, b) changing DNA profiles, c) skipping classes, d) missing curfews, e)… okay, you get the point. This will end badly.

"Danny," my dad began, "We got a call today," he said. Suddenly, he couldn't contain his joy any longer, "V-man called and he wants you to spend the week with him!"

"V-man," I said, confused. Then light dawned on me; Plasmius. "Vlad Masters?"

"Yes," Mom said, less enthusiastic than my father. "For some reason, he wants you to spend the first week of Christmas vacation with him in Wisconsin. He said that the two of you had…"

"No way," I shot off. "I'm not spending any amount of time with that crazed up froot loop! I don't care what the cheese head said… I'm not doing it!"

"Gotten off on the wrong foot," Mom said, her face falling. "That may have been an understatement."

"Of the year," Dad commented, his eyes wide.

"You didn't say you would, did you," I asked, my temper soaring. "Oh, when I get my hands on that dirty rotten little froot loop! Oh," I screamed, standing up. The thrust sent my chair back clear to the other side of the room. I heard my parent's startled gasps at my incredible show of strength. "Why would he want us to spend Christmas with him! I mean he barely said goodbye to Dad after Thanksgiving!"

"He doesn't want all of us," Mom said as Dad lowered his head. "He just wants you."

"Oh," I said, my anger boiling to new highs. "Oh! Of course. Dang froot loop has found a way around the…" I trailed off, my voice dropping: "thing! Please, tell me you said no."

"We haven't answered yet," Mom replied.

"Well, you're not considering it, are you?"

"We weren't… at first," Mom said, turning to Dad.

"You've got to be kidding me," I declared.

I know it's irrational, but I still can't get the images from my nightmares out of my mind. Vlad didn't do anything to me, certainly not that, but that doesn't mean he's still not my archenemy.

"Y-you can't do this," I stated in absolute horror. "Mom, Dad, I cannot spend an entire week with Vlad. I hate the man."

"Danny," my mother declared surprised. "Hate is a pretty harsh emotion for you sweetie."

"Mom, please. I don't like him. He just isn't right. No one is that perfect," I lied. I couldn't very well tell them that he's my archenemy. As long as he stays away, he's not violating the truce.

"Danny boy, this is the whole reason V-Man wants to get together. He felt that you two didn't connect. Just give him a chance. He's a great man once you get to know him. He and I get along great. Of course he and my son will be friends," Dad declared. Dad always viewed things so black and white. How Sam can accuse me of having his visionary abilities I'll never know.

"Dad, I understand that you and he got along in college but he's different. Didn't you see that," I tried to persuade him. If I violated the treaty to avoid him, so be it.

"Danny, honey, I'm going to have to side with your father on this one," Mom answered in a resigned voice. She added, however, with a bit of worry, "Unless you can provide me with a good enough reason."

I stared at Mom first, then hopefully at Dad. Neither Mom nor Dad looked about to give up. My only choice was to either tell or go. I sighed out, resigning: "Okay, I'll go. But this is the only chance he gets. If he can't convince me this time, there won't be any buddy, buddy stuff." I only said that to make them happy. There won't be any of that anyway.

XXX

"You're going where for the holiday," Tucker asked in absolute shock.

"Not the holiday. Only until the twentieth," I told them. "I'll be back before Christmas."

"Okay, you're going where the first week," Tucker revised. I cracked a smile. That boy is not my best friend. He's so much more. He's my brother.

"Madison, Wisconsin. My parent's friend lives up there. Vlad Masters," I told them. "The guy we spent Thanksgiving with," I added as a whisper.

This caught Sam's attention. She has been high alert ever since that horrible week. "Oh, no you are not. I'm going to have a word with your parents…"

"Sam, calm down," I told her, looking her in the eyes. It was hard enough trying to convince myself it'd be okay. Now I was trying to convince Sam. What have I got myself into?

"Danny, I think Sam is actually right here," Tucker said, surprising both of us. Sam had more anger in her eyes at Tuck's comment but there was a dash of surprise.

"No, neither one of you is in the right ball field. There is nothing to worry about," I told them. Of course, I wasn't buying it so neither were they.

"Danny, I'll talk to Mom and Dad and they'll get you out of this," Tucker told me. It sounded tempting, but honestly, this is the best path. If I resist, he'll probably come after me personally. I won't turn on my family and friends. What's the worst that can happen? And, of course when I thought that, the worst-case scenario popped in my mind. It didn't happen, I remind myself, and put on a smile for my best friends.

"No," I told them, keeping the smile in place. It probably looks plastic it's so fake. "I'll get this over with and he'll get the image and we can all forget about this whole ordeal." Now, if only I could convince myself that.

XXX

I must have been the only kid in Casper High that was watching the clock on the last day, asking the second hand: 'why must you move so fast?' Vlad was so impatient that he arranged for the driver to pick me up at the school. I took my bags from my locker (I love my parents inventions… well, some of them) and headed outside.

This guy couldn't even be one second late. He sat outside, holding up a sign that said DANIEL FENTON, as if anyone could mistake it for theirs. No one in this town could afford it… and that's saying a lot. Now everyone knew whom he was here for. I imagine a wailing will be in store from Dash for upstaging him.

"Daniel Fenton, Mr. Masters has made these accommodations to transport you to the airport. Show me your bags and I'll load them for you," the snobby looking driver announced.

"No thank you," I responded, holding up a small pouch that draped over my shoulder. "I packed light. There's no need." Of course, that was far from the truth. I had a ton of junk in this bag—all of it shrunk. Well, dehydrated as Mom likes to correct.

"See you guys next week," I said to my friends. Hopefully, I kept to myself. "Stay out of trouble and don't kill each other. Look out for each other and call me if you need me. I don't care what Froot Loop thinks. I'll leave," I told them.

I couldn't stand leaving the ghost problem on them. It's not like either one of them were exactly trained in that kind of work but they could hold their own. Worse, neither one could heal like I could. Of course, that was the good part, too. At least they too weren't cursed.

"Don't worry about us," Sam responded in her usual demeanor. Of course, knowing her so well I could detect her own worry. She and Tucker waited by the car door, seeing me off before they headed home. None of us would have a good first week of Christmas Vacation however they'll never know the true extent of the depths I'm about to be subjected to.

I opened the door before the driver could and climbed inside. I shut it too before he could, anything to hold onto my independence. I'm not royalty, I'm not important, I'm not crippled—no one needs to open or close a door for me.

XXX

I flew first class to Wisconsin where yet again another snobby driver delivered me to Vlad. I felt like a stupid pizza. I made it to the castle really late, Vlad waiting happily on the balcony like the King he imagined he was.

Vlad dismissed the driver for the holidays and I noticed most of the lights were out in the castle. This meant we'd be alone. This just keeps getting better and better. Vlad led the way inside, stopping at the foot of the stairs.

"Get unpacked and get some rest. You look half dead," Vlad remarked dryly.

I scoffed. "Nice word choice," I said bitterly. Vlad didn't reply, he only stood there. I made my way up the stairs, waiting for him to assign a room. When I finally reached the rooms and he still hadn't made any comment I became a little depressed. I was so looking forward for him telling which room was mine so I could choose another and disobey him.

I hydrated the bags and unloaded them. I had just finished unpacking, sitting down on the bed when I was startled to discover him in the doorway, watching me.

"Comfortable," he asked me once he discovered I'd learned of his presence.

I scoffed. "Are you still here," I smarted back.

Vlad once again surprised me by walking into my room and sitting down on the bed beside of me. He positioned himself where he was facing me and he looked at me with an emotion I didn't recognize.

"I want you to be comfortable and it wouldn't hurt for you to be respectful," Vlad replied in his suave personality.

"You are not seriously trying to get buddy, buddy with me," I asked, disbelieving.

Vlad moved in closer, making me seriously uncomfortable. My heart leapt into my throat with the last time he seriously invaded my personal space, dream or not, fresh in my mind. Not wanting to be this close to him, I moved myself to a more comfortable space.

"No, of course not," Vlad chuckled as if it were funny. "We're beyond that and I understand. I just," he paused, "want to make some things comfortable when I can." He closed the gap I allowed myself. "There is really no point in you being entirely uncomfortable."

His hand left his side and rested on my thigh. Not on my leg like a friend, but he placed his hand on my thigh like a happy-go-lucky peruser.

With my personal space completely violated, I gave myself more room—nearly three times more than the last move. This bed was huge still Pee Wee Herman didn't take the hint. He nearly immediately closed the gap.

If I moved, he'd only close it again so I gave a verbal warning. It was meant to be aggravated; however it did not turn out that way. "Dude," I said stiffly and a bit scared.

Vlad leaned in, one hand behind me and the other between my legs. "I told you you'd be a little uncomfortable." Vlad moved the weight of his body where it was practically on top of me. "You may find this to be more than a little."

The hand between my legs vacated the premises to my relief to only rest on my left check. Vlad pulled my head to his and before I knew what was happening he was in a full blown kiss with me. If that wasn't enough, his hand left my cheek and went back to my crotch.

My mind froze in disbelief. I couldn't fight back—that was until his hand went further than just between my legs. When he went for the zipper of my blue jeans, my mind thawed. I powered up my ectoblasts, one in both of my fists, ready to fire.

Vlad raised the hand going for my zipper, continuing the kiss, and placed it on my balled up, ready to fire fists. I tried to break away from him, feeling his mouth intertwine with me. I felt nauseas but my mind was still in shock. I felt the fire in my hands die, the ecto-blast fizzling away before I could fire. It was as if he too had the trigger to my powers. His hand wrapped around my waist, pulling me deeper into the kiss. I felt the tears well in my eyes.

Finally, Vlad's lips left mine momentarily to make my fate: "Regardless of how uncomfortable this makes you, you have no choice in the matter." Then, like he never spoke, he returned to my lips, now with a new fire. With one hand he lowered me to the bed and with the other he successfully unzipped my pants. I let out a strangled gasp knowing it wasn't a dream. That night in the castle, before the reunion, Vlad had raped me… and he was going to do it again.

**AN: Please see fan fiction dot net slash my forums slash Team 04 Phantom slash 3876657 for any information containing background and timeline. Updated regularly.**

**M rating for descriptive sexual scenes in later chapters and language.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom though I wished I did.**

**AN: Sorry I didn't get this up last night. For some reason (don't ask me why), FF dot net wouldn't load on my desktop but works fine on my laptop. :-/**

**This chapter contains graphic rape scenes, explicit sex scenes and male sex. If this disturbs you, please do not read.**

**Chapter Two: That Which Can't Be Returned**

Vlad slid the one hand through the zipper, parting the denim with a pop of the button. I tried to push my way out of his trap but nothing seemed to work. Vlad leaned in, entrapping me more as he continued the kiss. His tongue slipped into my mouth and I gasped, crying harder as I felt the intrusion. I didn't want this. I don't want this. Please, God, just stop.

I stopped focusing on stopping the kiss and tried to find a way to escape him. If I could get airborne, then there wasn't a chance in hades that he could catch me. I put my hands against his chest and tried to pry him away from me. Vlad simply retuned my hands to the bed, dropping them unnoticed. I tried kicking my legs but Vlad wasn't around my legs, instead leaning in sideways.

That gave me an idea, and I arched my back, extending my pelvis out. Instantly I felt it. Vlad's penis was vibrating, pounding away with enthusiasm. It occurred to me that Vlad was going to use that thing on me. Before the night was through, he'd stick that in my backend.

I wanted to forget his pounding cock but before I could lower my pelvis back to the bed, Vlad slipped a hand behind my back and swung himself on top of me. I struggled harder, not wanting to feel his cock that close. I tried to wiggle out of his grasp, but Vlad just kept returning my hands to the bed and resume doing what he was doing. He wasn't even taking my struggles seriously. I was just a fly to him and he was swatting me when I got too close.

Finally, I felt Vlad drop his hand from my back, allowing my pelvis to retreat from Vlad's screaming cock. I instantly tried to clamber away like I had that night but Vlad grabbed my waist and in one fluid movement I was on my stomach. I screamed out, terrified, begging him not to do this. I tried to crawl away, the tears streaming down my face when everything in my body went numb.

An immense cold feeling erupted from the middle of my back and grew all over my body. The change in temperature instantly made me stop my screaming, crying and begging. The cold was exactly like when you've put ice on your skin for too long… or put something incredibly cold on your skin. I felt my heart lurch in my throat, fearful of what this piece of information told me.

Vlad's freezing hands came to rest around my pelvic area and he thrust me into a kneeling position. I began to hyperventilate, knowing what comes next. I begged him again, the tears beginning to flow again. I felt Vlad's lips brush against my ear for the second time. "You were spoiled last time, child," he said, his voice turning dead serious: "no more!"

The white-hot feeling from more than two weeks ago returned and then the pain began. I could feel his pulsing penis vibrating in me. I was extremely nauseas, dry heaving along with my tears. I just couldn't vomit… I was crying just too hard. Vlad thrust towards me with inhuman capabilities. I couldn't see him but I'd bet he was a ghost.

An eruption occurred deep within me and I let out a strangled scream. I felt this hot, sticky liquid run down my legs. Vlad had come to a rest but the burning continued. I screamed out, unable to hold the pain in any longer. I could feel Vlad's waist behind me, his legs pressed all the way against mine. He has just now fully entered me.

I screamed and cried until I felt the pain lessen. It didn't go away, not even really enough for me to stop screaming, but it was becoming constant enough for me to adjust to it. The hot, sticky liquid continued to pour down my legs, my blood loss amounting. I still felt the disgusting unease in the pit of my stomach but my tears still prevented me from vomiting. I could manage to just lie there, crying as hard as I was when this began but I managed to silence the screams and the begging.

As soon as I had gone a few moments without screaming, Vlad's hands tightened around my thighs. It's becoming constant: he balls his fist, he starts the torture. I felt the bile rise in my throat and I could hear the first plea escape my throat. Vlad ignored me, beginning to thrust me backwards and forwards. However, something was off about this time around.

Vlad was still keeping his hands balled up and he would still thrust with the same energy but the thrusts themselves were slower. It might have been slow, but it was still painful. That part of the equation never varied.

As Vlad began to thrust, a scream tore out my throat. As he became more active in his thrusts, more screams tore out of my throat. Then he reached the point he wanted to reach and another scream tore out my throat… then another, then another and then another. There was no rhyme or reason to my screams. They would just form in my throat and then exited it without any consent to do so. I swear it wasn't this painful last time! I've never screamed, or cried, or begged this much in my life.

"Are you enjoying yourself," the monster asked me, with a calm and low level voice.

"Shut up," I tried a come-back after my last scream only to scream louder after my attempt.

"Because I think you're ready to graduate," Vlad remarked as if I'd never spoken.

I can't speak. If I speak, the pain increases tenfold but if I don't keep my mind active, I feel myself slipping away. I don't understand what he means by graduate. If he means he's going to progress me to another level he wants me at, then I'm fearful because I haven't even lowered the pain I'm constantly in now and he thinks I'm ready for step two?

"Step five, actually," Vlad spoke for no apparent reason.

"S-s," I tried to speak but I couldn't get the words out. I screamed, begging him to stop. When I begged, it came out without any planning but when I spoke, I couldn't put my words in the right order. "Please, just stop."

_Try thinking your responses instead of speaking them._

The thought rocked me, causing me to be unable to understand anything. Forgetting that speaking only makes the pain worse, I tried to speak again, "T-t. Please, oh, God. Just make it stop!"

_You're making this harder on yourself_, another random thought came through to me. It was in my voice… it was my thoughts_. It doesn't make sense now because you're too new at it, Daniel._

Another shot of pain raced through me as I tried to figure this out. Why would I… I never call myself Daniel. That name is only used to alert me that I need to stop what I'm doing immediately, hit my knees, and beg for mercy. What is going on?

_It's your voice but it is my thoughts. You're too damn young—with age and experience comes other voices. Now your voice is the only one you can create,_ it said again.

Vlad, is that you, I ask myself. That's it, I'm crazy.

_You are not crazy_, my own voice replies. _This must be the first time you've communicated telepathically_.

I could feel the pain beginning to lessen again, making it something I could bear. It never left, it just floated to the back of my mind like an unpopular student.

"It never will," Vlad replied. I strain to hear him, a short scream escaping twice but then it levels back to unbearable and I continue to cry uncontrollably.

I hear my own voice laughing a cruel laugh. _Leveling out to unbearable! What was it before_, he said, laughing some more.

I did not want to tell him. I did not want to give him the satisfaction but I couldn't help it. Unbearable, never ending, wishing I was dead; excruciating pain was what I'm in when I lose control. Damn!

_Don't fight it_, he said as me. _You can't stop yourself from thinking. If I say one word, you'll think of something. It's natural, Daniel_.

Don't call me that in my own head. I'd never call myself Daniel, I returned vehemently.

_Too bad_, I replied. _You shouldn't be hearing your own voice. For you to be in this deep, you should have the basic understanding of mental links_.

What are mental links, I asked. I wanted something to take my mind off the pain. Thinking about other things seems to help but just being me was pretty hard to do.

_If you haven't noticed_, the voice that was my voice but wasn't me said, _I'm busy doing someone right now_.

Please, Vlad, I begged him. If you're not going to stop, will you at least help me?

_I have other concerns right now. Brace yourself, my dear sweet Daniel, because we have eight more steps to do and I have some ground rules to cover_.

I felt my mind ice over as I absorbed his words. Eight more steps. He laughed a cruel laugh, it echoing in my mind as my own voice. I don't even understand from when he said five steps.

_Well, I couldn't very well put you in your first rodeo and expect you to win the gold now can I_? He was using my voice. _The first step is usually all I do when I rape someone. It's enough to break anyone and I can get what I need. If it's human, I use my mental connection to numb ninety percent of his or her body. However, you handled like a pro_.

_When I discovered you were Jack's boy, I instantly regretted raping you. However, after your blunt refusal of my offer I decided you needed some more time. So I called your parents and arranged this little time for ourselves. You will have to work to earn these kinds of privileges later on. Disobey or become unruly and all privileges will be suspended_.

It was weird to hear my voice talk like this. I, or at least my voice, had said I rape people. I felt sick to my stomach.

Don't throw up! I began to dry heave as before, having no ability to produce anything. I was just crying too hard, or too exhausted as is the case now, to do anything.

After a moment to compose myself, I got up the nerve to ask. What were the steps, Vlad?

_Well_, my voice began, _like I said I done what I normally do on our first time. Then, after I discovered your lineage, I treated it as step one. Because you're half human, sex that night would have been painful but the least of steps of sex. If you had been a full ghost like I thought, it would have been like regular rape. Not the way you felt it_.

What makes the two types of rape different, I asked Vlad. I wanted to keep him talking. I couldn't stop myself.

_Oh, do you. Well, I might not have stopped making love to you, but I have involuntarily allowed you to win. You haven't started step five yet. Anyway, ghosts' penises, vaginas and anuses are all genetically bigger. Why, I'm not sure. It's suspected that's the way because ghosts can take more pain. One could argue that we are still paying for Eve's disobedience._

Eve? You mean Adam and Eve? The Bible, I asked surprised.

_Yes_, Vlad replied. _Childbirth is supposedly meant to be painful to women because of Eve's deliberate disobedience of God's will. She ate the fruit_.

I know that, I snapped. I didn't mean to, but the pain was too great.

_You do know I can tell you are lying, right_, my voice replied. _You can choose false words or thoughts but feelings are a separate matter altogether._

Feelings, I asked intrigued.

_Has Maddie ever told you that lying is a sin and people who lie go to hell_, Vlad remarked darkly.

Already there, I retorted, unable to control myself anymore. He was pissing me off.

_Oh, far from it my pet. Like I said, you still have eight more levels to pass before you get your diploma. And you want to know the best part. You'll be passed in a little over twenty-four hours. How'd you like to graduate High School in thirty-two hours, Daniel?_

I'd imagine it's hard, I replied.

Vlad grabbed my waist, pulling me to my knees. He wobbled with me to the edge of the bed until he was standing still. I felt an immense feeling of high anticipation and excitement come over me, making me anxious. _That's my feelings just so you know and you have no idea how right you are_. He thrust me back on his pounding hard cock, and then repeated it like a frantic erasing with an eraser. He kept it at that fast pace, my pain intensifying. "It is hard," he whispered.

I think I finally figured out steps four and five. The last series of thrusts were easy—like sandpapering—nice and slow. But these here are quicker, like a pro polishing a shoe. He's breaking me in. Slow to fast.

_You're on the right path but I'm more generous than you give me credit for. Four, Five and Six steps are slow to fast. I can go faster_, my voice replied.

I still don't know steps two and three, I reply.

_Don't you_, my voice asks? _Didn't I insert my penis in two installments? You had to have a moment to pace yourself… well, you got one anyway_.

What do you want me to do? Thank you, I asked bitterly. Thank you for raping me gently, I said, obviously mocking.

_When you learn how fast I can go, you will mean it when you say it_.

Yeah, I'll keep that in mind, I said. My heart pounded, my ear drums were thundering, my throat was sore from screaming, my eyes were puffy from crying and frankly, I hurt. I didn't want to think about what the man who was responsible for this was doing for me.

_I didn't do this to you. You did this to yourself, Daniel. You had this coming when you denied and defied me._

Then just call me Deny and Defy Daniel because I will never renounce my father and I will never join you, you crazed up Froot Loop.

_Just as tenacious as always, Little Badger. I do love them feisty_, my voice replied. Oh how I hoped to be able to hear other voices soon and not just my own. As it is, I want to wash my mouth out with soap.

_Speaking of mouths, Daniel, how did you like our first kiss_, Vlad asked me, my voice still disguising his own.

Like a root canal, I replied. I enjoy drinking toilet water better.

_Oh, how unpleasant. I guess we'll have to have a take two after Step Six, won't we Daniel?_

It won't change much. I'd still rather gargle thumb tacks.

_Oh, then we must try and try again, my sweet. You'll have to get use to kissing me. It'll be a constant requirement._

This keeps getting better and better, I said sarcastically. Spending time with you, you raping me, kissing you! What's next, giving you a blow job?

My stomach lurched as he softly chuckled, _Actually, yes. That will be required as well. And, Daniel, you will be required to swallow._

No, no, no, please God, tell me you're playing games with me. I was just kidding, I rattled off. My chest pounded quickly.

_I'll tell you what I will require of you when we're together. And I will never kid._

What makes you think I'll behave? What makes you think I won't ignore you?

_Oh, don't worry about that. You are not strong enough to defy me now and by the time you may actually be, defiance won't cross your mind. Now we have thirty hours and thirty minutes to get everything intact. Time will fly_.

Thirty hours? I thought you said we had thirty-two hours. Are you telling me I've only been here two hours? I waited for a response. All I got was bruised thighs. As things began to become quiet, my mind actually returned to the pain.

Vlad? Please answer me. I liked it better when you were talking to me. God, please, say something. My legs feel like they're on fire. They burn so bad. Please, Vlad, say something. I'm sorry if I said anything to upset you. Vlad please, it hurts.

Nothing but silence greets me. He's there but he's not. I can feel him pounding in my ass but he won't talk to me.

I try to take my mind off of my situation. When I first got here, I hadn't had time to look around the room. There are absolutely no windows in this room. I try to glance around to find a clock but I see none. There is no TV, radio, computer, or phone in this room as I can tell.

"Stop fidgeting," I hear Vlad demand.

"W-wh – Ah! Why should I," I said. It took several seconds to get out a sentence less than a second long. When I finished speaking, Vlad grabbed my hips and pulled to himself as hard as he could. I screamed out in agony as the raw and exposed skin was rubbed. However, Vlad didn't stop there. Once my skin had made contact with his skin, Vlad grabbed my thighs and pushed them away from him. It wasn't anything unusual until he went further than he's gone so far. Then, Vlad's penis ripped out of me in the fastest speed he's ever done and within a millisecond Vlad had me pulling roughly back towards him. Before I could prepare myself for what I'd feared, Vlad had plunged deep into my anus.

I let out a scream, a strangled cry, a few cuss words out of my character and cried uncontrollably. I couldn't catch my breath it hurt so much. Vlad didn't stop though. He returned to his former pattern.

"Do not be disrespectful to me, bitch. That was your final warning. I won't be nice next time!"

I couldn't speak. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't do anything except focus on the pain I felt right now. I wouldn't classify what he done as nice but I also didn't want to see what he considered fair punishment. My heart raced and my head pounded but I laid still. I wouldn't anger him again. I couldn't take another one of those.

The longer I lay there, the more accustomed I became of the pain. My eyes started to droop and the tears helped ease me into that state. Before I knew it, I was blacking out.

XXX

I looked around the room I had found myself in. I knew I was dreaming because in the distance I could still feel Vlad raping me. The room was nearly pitch black, even my ghost eyes seeing everything in very little detail. The light that shone in the small room was filtered through so many curtains that the human eye couldn't see the light. The cell was completely filthy, human waste and decomposed food littering the floors. I dared not to step for fear of what I'd might be stepping in.

I continued to look around the room, hoping to find the occupant of this rat hole. Finally, in the far corner, directly in line with the door, a young man came in my view. He had his knees pulled up, hugging them close to his mid-section. He was dressed in something that looked like nothing more than a burlap sack turned into a one-piece. Heavy shackles that had a faint green glow around them, the cuffs connected to an equally heavy log chain attached to the wall.

The only clean spot on the boy was his tear-streaked face and even it had been dirtied by the boy's attempts to rub them from his eyes. His hair was tangled and dirty, weighed down heavily from the oils and debris. A loud clank brought my attention to the door directly across from the boy. The light filtered in, shinning heavily on the young man. He cowered from the light like a rodent would do, trying to put as much distance between the light and himself.

A shadow formed in the light and I shielded my eyes from the blinding contrast. The boy cowered from the shadow, his movements an attempt to escape the shadow's path. However, the position of the door and the boy's chains made the attempt futile. The shadow stepped forward, revealing a man the exact opposite of the boy. The man was healthy, clean and free.

"You could escape this torture, Daniel. You know what to do," the man in shadow replied.

Daniel… does that mean?

"I'd rather die a free man in this world than live a slave in your world. Here, you cannot hurt me. Here, I win," the boy said, raising his head up to gaze at the man.

The man slammed the door shut, "Very well." The last flicker of light was cast out of the boy's world, probably the last he'd ever see. "So. Be. It."

I closed my eyes, hiding from what the man was going to do to the boy. How could I say that? I'm not free. It was happening in my world; I could still feel the pain even though I was unconscious. Vlad has cut me off from the world, forcing me to endure this kind of living. I'd rather be dead.

Soon, the screams of my dream-self filled the small room that mirrored the ones I screamed in my world. I tried to block them out but it was impossible. What is the purpose of this dream? That there's no hope. That I will forever be forced to endure this? That can't happen. It must end eventually.

The sounds died away, silence leading the way. I was fearful to open my eyes. Did Vlad kill me? Am I finally dead, free of this torture? Fearfully, I opened my eyes and took in a new sight. The skyline I have come to know so well filled my sight, the setting sun providing the beautiful picturesque sight. I'm home.

How did I get here, though? I was just floating in the air, my messy black hair hanging in my face. I checked my arms to double-check and I was in human form and I was dressed. Not sure how I got here but unconcerned about it, I race towards home. As I fly into the heart of town, a terrifying sound causes me to grind to a halt. A loud explosion followed by pained screams filled my ears. I listened carefully to my surroundings, trying to determine where I'm hearing the chaos.

Finally determining the source of the sound, I fly in that direction. I've sworn to always protect this town and I will never fail it, not matter what I've been through. Black smoke fills the horizon as blast after blast rains from the heavens. I prepare to defend those that I love, taking in the sight of the perpetrator. My heart comes to a standstill.

"It's not real," I say, defeated as I take in the sight. "It's not real," I say again, this time with determination. "I would never. I could never!" Vlad and I floated in the sky, Vlad in ghost and I in human form, but Vlad isn't doing a thing. I am. Blast after blast that destroy property, homes and lives come from the very hands that have sworn to protect it.

"Danny," two horrified voices cry up.

"What are you doing," Sam cries out. My Sam. I'm hurting her.

"About time you showed up," Dream Danny spats out. "But it's too late."

"Please, stop this," Sam cries. "You're better than this!"

"I'm doing what I have to," I spat back.

"Danny, you're under some kind of spell. It's your friends, Tucker and Sam," Tucker tried to reach me but I was too-far gone.

"Some friends you turned out to be," I turned to them, venom dripping in my response. "You left me, to go through that—alone," I screamed.

"We didn't know," Sam screamed up.

"Well you've left me no choice," I replied, sending another blast that probably killed hundreds. "It's your fault so deal with it!"

No, this would never happen! I would never blame Sam and Tucker! How could they possibly be to blame! How could I put that on their shoulders? If I couldn't stop Vlad, how could I expect them to?

"Daniel," Vlad replied, smirking at the conversation going on.

"Yes, father," I looked at up him, ready to do as he asks.

"Why don't you kill them now? They're worthless this way. Destroy them and put them out of their misery," Vlad said.

No! Sam, Tucker, run!

"Father, may I keep the girl? I could find a use for her," I remarked, my face devoid of emotions.

Vlad's however turned up as he took in Sam's appearance, "I suppose. You will need someone after all, won't you?"

"Thank you, Father," Dream-Danny replied, turning up a smile that mirrored Vlad's. My stomach twisted in knots. This can't be happening! I have to snap out of it. I couldn't kill Tucker and rape Sam. I couldn't!

Tucker stepped forward, standing protectively in front of Sam. Normally, I would be proud of him but in this case, I just want him to run. They have no idea how powerful I am and none of us know how evil he has become. I can only gage by Vlad's readings.

"Danny, snap out of it. We're your friends, remember," Tucker tried to reason.

"Tucker, no," Sam objected at the same time. "Get out of here! Run!"

_Both of you run_, I screamed at the top of my lungs but no one so much as looked at me. I'm just a spectator. I can't do anything.

"Friendship terminated," I remarked, a bright green light exiting my hand. It rocketed towards Tucker before anyone could react, plunging a hole through his chest. Tucker's eyes dimmed as the life slipped from those unique green eyes.

I screamed and sobbed, unable to tell my mind Tucker was okay back at home. Sam collapsed beside Tucker's lifeless body, her eyes pooling with tears.

"How could you," Sam seethed through her tears, "he was our friend!"

I closed my eyes, unable to see anymore. I began to chant a phrase repeatedly even as Sam swore vengeance. _Just stop it. Just stop it. Just stop it._

"I didn't know you were in such a hurry."

I kept my eyes clenched closed, _Just stop it_.

"If you're ready, baby, so am I."

_Just stop it._

Even through Sam's strangled, surprised scream and the ripping of fabric from her flesh, I continued my mantra. Next, Sam screamed out in pure agony. _Just stop it. Just stop it! Just stop it_, I screamed out, crashing to my knees as I heard Sam scream in ways that was eerily similar to mine. Even through my closed eyes, I could still see me raping her. _Just stop it!_

Another scream entered my ears, Sam's falling away. I opened my eyes immediately, taking in the new room. Now I was home, in my own living room once again. Vlad still stood in ghost form while I stayed in human form, holding Sam's arm possessively. Her clothes were in tatters and a thin line of mascara ran down her cheeks.

"What's going on," I heard my mother declare, snapping me back to the reason I opened my eyes in the first place.

Lying on the ground was Jazz's lifeless body. I snapped my head towards Dream Danny as I recalled something and his hand still smoked. No.

"Jazz," Mom declared, her voice breaking as she took in the lifeless body of her daughter.

"Don't worry about her, Maddie," Vlad spoke with a sly grin, "She's in a better place."

"The Wisconsin Ghost," Mom declared, angrier than I've ever seen her. "You done this to my daughter."

"Actually, that was me," Dream-Danny spoke up. "She always was a pain in my side" _Not enough to kill her_, I screamed as Dream Danny gave Mom an evil smile. "Hi, Mom," he said, sarcastically.

"Danny," Mom asked, confusion in her voice. "Danny," she declared again, looking about to dive into his arms but hesitated. "Sam, honey. What happened? And what are you two doing with him?"

"He took care of me," Dream-Danny replied, "when no one else would. When you couldn't be pulled away from your neat little lives, he stayed for me. I'm his son now!"

"Sweetheart, we've never stopped looking for you," my mother replied, looking him in the eyes. She stepped back, startled by the evil in the orbs. "You," Mom seethed at Vlad, "You're the one who stole my son."

"I took what was rightfully mine," Vlad replied, smiling at Mom with anticipation. "And I'm about to do it again."

Please, God, run Mom! It's too late for Sam and Jazz but you can save yourself and Dad if you just get out of here!

"Jack," Mom cried as if the universe was out to destroy my world. It'd already killed two parts of it. Please, Mom, don't call Dad down here. "Jack, honey, hurry!"

Dad came out of the kitchen, his eyes falling instantly on Jazz. "Jazz, no! My Jazzypants!" He collapsed beside Jazz's body, holding his hands over her as if he didn't know what to do.

"You always did favor Jazz more than Daniel, didn't you," Vlad smirked. "Looks like he got his revenge."

"Jack, honey, you need to pull yourself together. Danny's not himself. The Wisconsin Ghost has hypnotized him or something but we need to save Sam!"

"Danny," Dad asked, looking at the two evil ghosts and the one scared girl. "Danny," Dad said, his eyes lighting up.

"It's not Danny," Mom said. "He killed Jazz and he's hurt Sam. We can get him back, but it's not Danny."

"Of course I'm myself," I retorted. "And Sam doesn't need rescuing. She's happy where she is, aren't you, sweetheart?"

Sam looked between my parents and Dream-Danny, fearfully. After less than a moment of silence, Dream Danny demanded angrily, "Aren't you?"

Sam nodded her head. Dream Danny smacked her across her pretty face causing Sam's body to jolt violently. After a loud scream from the force of the hit, Sam gently touched her face, crying harder: "Yes, sir," she barely said. Dream Danny smacked her again, a sickeningly snap being heard as he probably busted her jaw.

"Speak up, Bitch," he retorted, "Unless you want another one of those!"

"Yes, sir," Sam screamed louder.

"Better," Dream Danny deemed. I briefly closed my eyes, tears streaming down my face. The red mark on her face shone out angrily, proving how bad it really hurt.

"Let her go," Mom declared, angrily.

"She doesn't want to go," Dream-Danny replied, fake innocence in his expression. "Am I right?"

"Y-yes, sir. I want to stay with you," Sam stuttered out, her voice still weak. Dream Danny repeated the procedure on her untouched cheek, causing another red mark and another sickeningly crack as he smacked her a fourth time.

"Speak up and don't stutter," Dream Danny criticized again, causing Sam to scream in pain.

"Yes, sir," Sam screamed, her tears coming in full force. I felt my stomach doing summersaults at what I was doing to her.

Mom took a step forward, "I said let her go!"

Vlad grabbed Mom's arm as she came closer and I screamed out, the action almost as painful as what I'm experiencing in my world.

"Let go of me," Mom declared like she had when Vlad had really touched her. Only this time, I couldn't do a dang thing but watch.

"Unhand my wife, you ectoplasmic white trash scum," Dad declared stepping forward.

"Oh, Jack, you wouldn't say that to your old college pal, now would you," Vlad said as he triggered the rings and Vlad Masters stood in his wake, "Burning bridges and what not."

"Or what about your own former son," Dream-Danny remarked, doing the opposite of Vlad. The rings flashed over his body, the white color no longer a symbol of purity. My alter ego stood there but my eyes no longer held that sparkle. "As Father said, what not."

Mom and Dad's eyes widened, their expressions of horror.

"My son was never the man he was before you had him," Dad declared. "Him I don't blame."

Sam's eyes were wide as she knew she was about to witness another death. It was just like earlier with us three. A half ghost was about to kill an old friend and rape the other. She clenched her eyes shut, waiting for the worse to be over. I followed suit, unable to watch this any longer.

"It doesn't matter," Vlad spoke, "Cause you're going to be dead too."

I heard the energy whirl past and I gasped but I heard no others. It must have happened too fast for Mom to catch it and Sam must still have her eyes closed. However, Dad's painful scream echoed in my ears as I heard Mom's horrified scream and Sam's stifled scream and soft cry.

"Well, now that the trash has been taken care of, let's go home," Vlad commented but no one answered him. "We'll need to take care of the clothing, though, when we're home. What do you think, son?"

"I don't know. I want mine to be like an all-night diner, open 24/7 with all your favorites," I replied as Sam stifled another cry. "What do you say, baby?"

"Whatever you want," Sam cried, her voice loud enough to be heard.

"I'm impressed with your improvement. Let's go home, Father. My girl and I have a date!"

"Okay, son," Vlad remarked. "I taught you well."

"I can't wait for you to really experience it," Dream Danny replied as I started to repeat my mantra from earlier. _Just stop it. Just stop it_. "Let me tell you, it hurts like nothing you can imagine. You will pray for death, but I'll be there to make sure you never get it, just like Vlad done to me. You've wanted to be like me so, welcome to my life."

_Just stop it. Just stop it. Just stop it._

Soon, both Sam and Mom were screaming their own never-ending torture screams in separate rooms. _Just stop it. Just stop it_. I listened to their screams, knowing there was nothing I could do. _Just stop it. Just stop it_. Their screams echoed in my head for several minutes.

Finally, the screaming died down. I wondered what dream world would await me now when I felt a burning sensation. I opened my eyes in an instant, screaming like Sam and Mom had been doing earlier. Just as Dream Danny had informed Sam, I prayed for death that wouldn't come.

Vlad was moving to the pace of a person reloading a water gun. The skin rubbed at each other. Hot, sticky blood rolled down all over my legs. Freshly spewed tears moistened the dried ones. Vlad moved so fast the bed shook like one of those machines that jarred pecans. I could hear the wood creaking, but just barely. My cries overshadowed all other things there.

"Oh. Oh, oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Finally. This is more like it," Vlad moaned. His cock was moving from four different sources: Vlad, me, the bed and the penis itself. Vlad thrust it inside my anus and pulled it out so fast the pain was unbelievable. The thrust was so powerful that before I could be pulled back to Vlad or pushed away, I was doing it myself. The bed shook, causing me to vibrate and lastly Vlad had a desire. It didn't take long before Vlad burst.

The sex itself was murderous on my mental, physical, psychological and developmental health but I was hidden before. The orgasm itself was unbelievably painful. When Vlad cum, a liquid acid poured into my anus. Vlad was ready for it because he held me in place. I squirmed and wiggled to get free. His grip, even though he was vulnerable, was stronger than ever. When getting free wasn't an option, I did what I've became great at: I screamed, cried, and begged.

It took Vlad less than two minutes to be ready to go again. I couldn't breathe, my legs hurt, my body ached, I was burning and I'm pretty sure I was bleeding to death but Vlad wasn't even out of breath and he wasn't winded anymore. Vlad pulled out of my ass, waited for me to heal and positioned me. I hadn't come out of my kneeling position yet but he raised my head and back to level out again. Vlad gripped my thighs and I braced myself.

I take that back. There was nothing to brace me for what Vlad did. He shoved his penis completely in my ass without hesitation. I screamed in pain but Vlad ignored me. Then he thrust in, pulled out and thrust again. He was going so fast I tried counting. Vlad pushed into me, pulled out and pushed back in twelve hundred times in one minute. Quickly, I began to lose consciousness.

The first time I lost consciousness, Vlad done what he'd done earlier when I disrespected him. However, after a second time, I discovered his ideal of fair punishment. Vlad did it a total of five times, never slowing once. After a third time, he entered, exited, and reentered my anus repeatedly for thirty minutes.

The difference between his usual method and the punishment was subtle. Both required Vlad's penis to exit and enter into my anus rapidly however, the punishment did have a noticeable difference. When Vlad was punishing me, the speed involved was incomprehensive. I can't imagine the speed is available to any other species; maybe not even to other ghosts.

Once he completed his thirty minute torture, he moved on to step eight.

Before step seven, I so desperately wanted to get up. Now, I'd do anything to lie back down. Step eight was moving around directly after sex. I could not stop until I was told to. And I couldn't just select an activity. I had to do what Vlad told me to do, when he told me to or I'd regret it. When he told me to do a full split, all the way to the ground, I did it. When he told me to do it again, I hesitated.

I didn't hesitate long. I just froze. When I did it the first time, a sharp pain had struck me. I knew I didn't want to piss Vlad off but I was scared. If there was anything wrong with my anus, it's beyond repair now. The second I hesitated, Vlad flipped me over. I thought for sure he was going to rape me again but instead he shoved a toy up my ass.

I'm not talking about a stuffed toy. I'm not talking about a vibrator for those who know what that is. Vlad had a device that was 2 times bigger than his penis created and it had 20 speed levels on it so I'm told. It can shock, shoot energy, peel skin, spin at speeds in excess of fifty thousand revolutions per minute, move to various depths, and eject an acid that feels like real ghost cum. It also has a station that fits on the outside of the butt cheeks that allows it to vibrate, coming completely out and reentering at a higher setting and it has a random setting that any of those can occur without warning.

For back talking when I hesitated, I got a higher speed. This thing runs on a level three. It may not seem like much but Vlad said the scale is set that the fastest he himself can go is close to level five. This thing is meant to be better than him and it runs on batteries!

Now I have this thing in my ass and I have to keep it there until he removes it. And I still have to do his movements.

I'm dead tired.

"Walk on your hands and keep your legs perfectly vertical without powers for forty paces."

I immediately jump over on my wobbly arms and begin walking around, trying to keep my balance. After a few minutes, Vlad walks over and turns it a quarter of the dial. "What?"

He spins it another quarter. "You walked more than forty paces and you back talked." I finish my hand stand in time to hear: "Sit on the ground, legs crossed and don't reflex."

I plop down, biting my tongue so I don't fail on just sitting, and remain perfectly quiet. I wait until I feel the jump where the vibrator leaves my anus, hits the ground, bounces up freely, then adds another measure of depth as manufactured. I stand.

Vlad grabs the remote control. I forgot to mention that little darling. "Stand on one leg, place the other in a bended position behind the unit, pressuring it for forty-five minutes without hopping or falling."

Vlad ups the setting to a number I've never had and I bend my leg and place it at my butt—the heel of the shoe pushing at the unit.

This hurts tremendously. I've been awake for God knows how long, being raped out of my mind and haven't had a good meal in five days. The unit kicks on after three minutes, the spinner going so fast my skin is peeling. As if to kick me while I'm down, Vlad literally kicks me. He doesn't kick hard enough to remove my foot from the flooring but he could break my leg if I wasn't careful. I can't hop or jump or fall over so my only choice is to balance myself. I pass that one only because he graciously alerts me of the time.

Vlad tests my wits, patients and talents for forty-five minutes. When I pass, I figure it's over. How could you top that test?

"Lay on your back. Using your feet only, slug yourself to the railing outside, bust through the granite, and fall the sixty-foot drop on your rear in an upright position in fifteen minutes. During the slug, you must remain these positions or you lose: one flat on your back, two a ten degree angle, three a 20 degree angle, four a 30 degree angle, five a 40 degree angle, six a 50 degree angle, seven a 60 degree angle, eight a 70 degree angle, nine an 80 degree angle, ten a 90 degree angle, and then to a sitting position. When you have reached the drop, you must be in synch. If you are not, you will fail this step and must repeat it. I will repeat the same segments but your unit will never decrease in speed. The current setting you are at now will only intensify."

My mind went numb. I feel to the floor in a flat position, not knowing what else to do to prepare for this challenge. A thought occurs to me. He knows my weakness. I'm terrible at math!

My determination pushes me along, unlike anything I've ever accomplished. If I don't beat this thing, I have to redo it. I'm thinking about length and the time plus my ass is shaking and I am hurting. I think I've got it down pat but I realize it's been fourteen and a half minutes and all I have to do is land on my butt. I've already fell so now I can catch myself with my powers and maybe fail or land as if I didn't have powers and be really hurting. There's still the chance I won't land perfectly and still fail but I've got to take the risk.

I have no doubt in my mind Vlad had this planned from the beginning because before I land he pushes the lurch button, causing the thing to dig into my anus. Tears fill my eyes and I bite my tongue to hear my verdict.

"Pass," Vlad answers my prayers and I let it out. I wail, scream, cry and lose my breath as I celebrate my pass. "Are you ready for Step Nine?"

"As ready as I can be," I answer, wiping my tears. "May I ask you a question?"

"If you do it correctly I will answer."

"May I have the actual time of day, please, Sir?"

"Yes, you may Daniel. It is a quarter after three," Vlad answered. This is the best news I've received yet.

"Thank you, sir," I reply. The words taste dirty and ill placed as they leave my lips but I know I have no choice.

"You're welcome," Vlad answered calmly. "Now, let's go back to the bedroom."

"What? Please don't tell me more sex," the words slipped out of my mouth before I could catch it. I spoke out of turn so I was expecting retaliation. My ass was pounding but Vlad would never see that as an excuse.

Vlad's voice turned blunt: "Who is the bitch and who is the master? You do not control this time or any other time. I am your master and I tell you what to do and when to do it." His voice turned as cold as ice water: "You are my bitch! It is your job to make me happy and do as you are told. Is that clear, Daniel?"

"Yes, sir," I replied weakly. My voice did nothing to mask my fear and I slunk before him like a small child being scolded by a guardian. I hated backing down to anyone, least of all my arch nemesis, but Vlad has taught me what it's like to cross him. Vlad is someone I can't take on nor should I—that's why I'm afraid.

"Good, little bitch," Vlad regarded me, placing his hand on my shoulder. He began to direct me towards the stairwell, towards the bedroom, and I never objected. "Now, let's go to the bedroom." His hand cupped my shoulder, asserting a level of authority I've never experienced: "Never question my authority again, Daniel. Know your place." I bit back the tears my fear threatened to release.

We returned to the bedroom, the opportunity allowing me for once to take in my surroundings. However, the thing that caught my attention the most was the bed Vlad and I had been on for the past several hours. On one side the spread was ivory silken sheets. On the side where Vlad had been raping me at, the sheets were a sickly crimson red. Pools of blood, chunks of flesh and layers of skin decorated that side from where pieces of my legs had been grounded off during my 'training' session.

Vlad doesn't seem to notice the mess as he tells me to have a seat. I sit down, the dried blood scratching my newly healed skin. "Lay back all the way and hold still. Do not move," Vlad ordered. My heart raced as I imagined what step nine was. Vlad took his gloved hand and reached it up my anus. The hand wasn't the problem… well it's size anyway. The discomfort came from how far he pushed his hand and the glove's leather material. Finally, Vlad removed his fist.

"Was that step nine," I asked, amazed. Compared to the other steps, this one was easy!

However, Vlad wasn't sharing my enthusiasm, "Was that difficult?" His voice turned disapproving: "Think, Daniel! I went for the unit." He revealed the metallic cone, covered in my blood, making his point.

Upon his revealing, I had no sudden 'ah-ha' moments though. I actually grew confused, "But it was attached to the brace that is anchored to my ass," I questioned.

"Yes," Vlad said, unfazed by my question.

"You could have at least turned your hand intangible," I continued, my confusion advancing.

Vlad stunned me by grabbing my ass out of the blue, squeezing it, and tapping it hard two times: "Get it through your head! This is mine! I can do whatever I want to it without your permission. Your ass is mine, Daniel."

"Yes, sir," I remarked meekly again. I was suddenly feeling very sick; I had hoped this would end after Christmas. I realize I continue to hold onto that hope.

Vlad lets out a laugh but didn't make a verbal comment. However, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to guess what he's laughing at. "Just lie over on your stomach and get ready. We're going to have fun."

For you maybe, I thought fearfully. Vlad was claiming me. I knew it deep down. Even my dreams knew my ass was his. Though I refused to admit it aloud, I'd never truly be free.

"You will enjoy it someday. Not today but someday. It will be required," Vlad replied.

"Yes, sir," I answered like a zombie. And just like the perfect bitch of his dreams, I continued: "Now, you want me on my stomach or somewhere else?"

"Just like Step Seven. I want you on your knees, edge of the bed, and your ass sticking out. Get ready," Vlad's voice couldn't mask the anticipation if he tried.

I done as I was instructed, wanting to anger him no more. I silently begged it to be simple, wishing for the pain to subside when I felt Vlad's hands go around my thighs. I was on the verge of tears when suddenly Vlad released my hips. "I need something," Vlad spoke simply as he loosened his grip and removed himself from the bed. A few minutes later, he returned with straps, harness and a rein. I felt the bile rise up my throat, my stomach lurching from the fear.

"What are those for," I asked, my knees weak from the dread.

"The last person I raped didn't survive this step," Vlad spoke simply, "I'm taking precautions this time," Vlad said calmly. All hopes of this being easy and less painful vanished. I just prayed it wouldn't kill me.

"It won't," Vlad chuckled as if this were funny. "She was mortal. She wasn't ready and couldn't take it. I ended my numbing sensation much too soon. You don't get any of that. She went comatose on the last step and when I began the step we're about to begin she flipped out. She escaped my grasp when I was vulnerable and ran away from the bed. When caught between life with me or death, she jumped off the balcony. She was a beautiful woman, too. She looked just like your momma."

Vlad told the story in a nostalgic tone, reliving the poor woman's last moments of life with pleasantry. A shiver went down my spine at the thoughts of what he could do to Mom. No matter how painful, no matter what torture… I'd take it as long as no one else was hurt.

"You'd take it even if others were forced to," Vlad remarked about my thought.

All fear left me and anger grew: "If it were my family I would not. I wouldn't care!"

"Oh, you'd care, Daniel. Worry about yourself! This next one I've heard is the most painful of them all. They are all broken by the end."

"You won't break me. I may surrender but know it's always for someone else," I spoke defiantly. "I don't break easily."

However, Vlad had a retort of his own: "All the crying has said otherwise." He continued in a low, dark tone: "Daniel, you got way too in over your head way too soon. You'll break. They all do."

Without pausing or waiting for me to resist, Vlad slipped the harness around my waist. Then he used the straps to keep me in position and the reins had a bridle like for a horse—it even went in my mouth. The leather tasted so rubbery, but the smell was unmistakable. I would be the first to endure this.

"I wish you the best of luck, Daniel. You will hurt big time on this step," Vlad said as he plunged into me. That wasn't the bad part but when he began to move, I acted like a wild animal.

My insides felt like molten lava. Fresh blood oozed down my legs. I struggled like I'd never struggled before and I discovered the reason behind the restraints. I constantly wiggled out of his grasp but something would keep me in place. Vlad had absolute no control over me. I could easily see how even a normal woman could escape.

While the pain on me was unbearable, I noticed I wasn't only one in pain. Vlad struggled to keep the grasp firm and even upon occasion missed my ass (which I was thankful for). Vlad penetrated me 1200 times on that last step. I didn't even want to know how many he was doing now.

Another thing was how deep he was going. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear I could feel his penis in my throat. He thrust it so deep that when I'd go to scream, it strangle in my throat. I saw Vlad had troubles concentrating. That's all I can do—concentrate on how to make the pain go away. Concentrate on how to make him stop.

After 10 minutes, Vlad gave up. He collapsed beside me on the bed but I look nothing like him. "Stand up," he said breathless.

"You do it," I said from my side. My words were slurred from my face being pushed down against the bed.

"Do not make me punish you," Vlad threatened.

"You do and I'll do it," I retorted.

"Daniel," Vlad said sternly.

"Vlad," I groaned, "I'm tired, I'm sore, I'm filthy and we've been at this for hours. We're on step nine; can't take a break?"

"You forgot something," Vlad said smoothly, rising up.

I was for a loss, "What?"

Vlad brought me to my feet. He had more energy than I thought. We stood for less than 10 seconds when he backhanded me so hard I flew across my bed and hit the wall. Didn't see that one!

"You're my bitch and you'll do as you're told," Vlad responded vehemently.

I rose to my feet in a fighting position. Raping me is one thing—I've never been in that situation, but a fight; I'm sure to take him!

"Don't be so certain, Little Badger. You may or may not have more fighting skills than I may have but I'm stronger than you because I've had sex before. You must take that into consideration."

"I've been at this for hours. I'm exhausted, Vlad. I can't take it anymore," I said, my voice raising an octave.

"Au contraire, little badger," Vlad said. What was with that nickname? Did I look like a badger to him? Vlad smiled, then he turned serious as he continued, "You're still standing. You won't be able to move when you can't take anymore! We will be heading to the airport at six o'clock tomorrow. We're not even through with the steps yet! We've got about another 10 hours to work on them—then there's the rules you must follow. We've got a full schedule to complete and you are complaining!"

"Complaining? That's what you call this? Vlad, I've been hard at work these last few hours. My ass hurts like you couldn't imagine but you could care less. All that matters to you is timing," I said, growing angry. "I've had enough!"

"I'll tell you when you've had enough, bitch. Do you get that? Because I don't believe you do. You are my bitch, Daniel. You don't get to talk back. You can't call any shots. You have no purpose in life other than serving me. So if I can't get you to cooperate, I'll force you."

Suddenly, I found myself in the air but I wasn't doing it. I floated over my bed and was standing directly in front of him when I landed. I expected to be backhanded again but instead Vlad grabbed my shirt, ripping it off and disintegrating it like my pants and boxers all those hours ago.

"You had your chance, Daniel. So you can blame yourself for this," Vlad answered. He turned around, leaving my room. My pulse began to accelerate as I pondered my punishment for disobedience.

Vlad shut my door, leaving me alone. So far, I like this punishment. I sat down on my bed, paying no attention to the blood on the bed that was between my legs and I was sitting upon. After a few minutes, I began to fall into a comfortable silence.

I could feel a small headache forming and desperately wished I had an aspirin. Normally I don't get headaches or any other pain that lasts initially past contact. It'd be like taking pain medication for a bee sting for someone who isn't allergic to bees—pointless! But now, I want one.

I decide for a nap. It may bite me later on but I've got a few minutes and I'm waiting for a shoe to drop. I could use my spare time wiser. I lay back on the bed and drifted off.

Suddenly, I was startled awake. I don't know by what; whatever it was it's not making itself known. I don't see Vlad so that's a bonus.

The first thing I notice is the sweat. I wipe my brow only to notice sweat on my forearms. Vlad must have cranked up the heat. It doesn't make sense but I never dwell on the thought process of a Froot Loop.

Giving up, I let my mind rest. However it doesn't want to because images flash in my mind when I close my eyes. Not clear memories or complete ones either, just images of Vlad and I. Soon, my eyes don't need closing to see them. But that's not all!

I feel irrational for some reason. Not that I'm irrational—that's not it—but my feelings are irrational. I feel discomfort, pain, anger, sadness, heartbreak, betrayal, cheated, abused, and hatred… just a plethora of emotions I wasn't feeling a moment ago. I could feel any number of those justifiably but it's the timing and the fact it's all combined that confuses me.

Confusion, fear and discomfort overwhelmed me as all the other emotions hung out in the background of my mind. A scene played:

Vlad and I are together. I'm dressed and he's in his human form. Vlad has a hand

on my crotch and I'm still semi-innocent. Vlad leans in.

"You may find this to be more than a little."

Vlad had been talking about the kiss he gives me in a few seconds. It was the last minute of innocence. Before…

Hurt and longing overwhelm me. Another scene plays:

I'm in my kitchen. I'm actually home again. I play with my food, not feeling like

myself. I can't figure out my memories of the night in the castle. Jazz comes in

the room, telling me I could talk to her about anything. Should I tell her about

my memories?

That night had meant something special to me. I almost confided in Jazz about that night in the castle. However, a little stunt by Mom and Dad reminded me—Jazz don't believe in ghosts and it would only end in a fight.

Disappointment and anger:

I'm extremely aggravated with myself. I've been half ghost for more than two

weeks and I still can't return to the white-haired, green-eyed me Sam and Tucker

told me about. I've tried every approach I can think of… but nothing.

We discover the trigger a few days later. Dash pushed Tucker down, breaking his glasses. I got so angry I couldn't see straight. Had Sam and Tucker not reacted, I'd imagine I would have turned right there in front of Dash.

The next thing I feel is not an emotion unless you consider pain an emotion. My eyesight went blurry, everything distorted. I close my eyes, only for a second, but I realize what's wrong with my eyesight. When I close my eyes, I see the position I mostly stayed in these last hours.

I'm back on my knees. Vlad's raping me. I'm screaming, crying and begging again. It's hard not to get caught up. Sometimes I scream with my memory it feels so real.

The sights and feelings change ever so often. I feel the pain as if it's the first time I felt it. Even the night at the castle enters my mind. I screamed there, too, though it should be easier.

Then my mind goes to the first time Vlad came inside of me. The ghost ejaculation burns the insides of my anus and I scream. The images and the feelings cease.

I feel red-hot pain on my backside. Not just around my ass—my legs, heels, back, neck, head—everything. I can't take it for more than a few seconds, leaping into the air yelping. I looked to my bed to see what could have done that.

"What," I say breathlessly, confused. My bed isn't there, only liquid fire. "Lava?"

Suddenly, fire starts falling from the sky. "What the hell? Where am I? Am I sleeping?" If I was, it hurt in my dream.

Below was some kind of shelter. The fire rain hit it but it stood proud. I decided that's where I'd take my shelter.

I landed on the ground—as far away from the lava as I possibly could—and took refuge. Just as I thought it couldn't get any worse, my feet begin to burn. Below my feet was—what else?—hot rocks.

"You've got to be kidding me?"

It took me 10 lousy minutes to get it. I was constantly moving. I never stopped and sometimes I had to preform dodging maneuvers. Two steps ago, I was constantly moving after passing a step. They were connected. Step seven was taking it at medium speed while step eight was moving afterword. Step nine is taken it at maximum speed and set ten is moving afterword.

Somehow, Vlad was creating images and feelings and now he's creating this fire world to keep me moving. It isn't real.

_Maybe not_, spoke my voice. It was Vlad. _But it will hurt just as if it were. Pain sensors are located in mind. I. Have. Mind. Control._

Oh, shit. As badly as I wanted that SOB to be lying and be caught in it, I couldn't take that chance. I lost. He still got his way.

_Get used to it. I always do_, Vlad answered, my voice smug and victorious.

Vlad forced me to dodge and outmaneuver the fire for an estimated four hours. I'm not sure if that was the correct time because I didn't have a clock or even a view of the sun to determine the time. Just one minute the image vanished and Vlad came back in the room. Holiday canceled.

"Well, that's that for step ten. Just two more steps to go," Vlad said cheerily. Am I supposed to be happy? Well, I guess I sort of am. Just two more!

"May I ask a question," I asked.

"If you ask it correctly," Vlad remarked. I have a feeling this will be a staple for this week.

"May I have the time of day," I asked.

"Yes you may. It is half past eight," Vlad remarked.

"Yes! Just 10 more hours!" I celebrated.

Vlad chuckled, "How do you figure." My grin disappeared. "It's 8:30 in the morning. We got 21 and a half hours to go."

"No," I sank to my knees. It's only been… 10 last night to 8 this morning. 10 hours—that can't be.

"Oh, it is. We've got plenty of time but it will be straight through. Had you not been so damn childish, you may have had some time to rest before the plane ride. So, now you may not get a break until we're at Dads."

My blood boiled. I rose off my knees and bit my tongue. Childish? Oh his nerve. How dare he? He's been fucking me for 10 hours straight but it's felt longer! He forced me here! I didn't even want to be here with him for this time. This is not how I planned to spend my first week of Christmas vacation!

"I didn't want this," I spat out. I bit my tongue but I couldn't hold my thoughts back. With someone who could read thoughts, why bite anything back?

"Because I won't punish you for your thoughts. No one can bite back thoughts. It's not possible."

I ignored his comment, "I hate you! I can't stand you! Even before I fully understood the shit I was in I couldn't imagine spending the week with you… but now, I wished I was dead!"

"Now, Daniel…" Vlad began.

"Don't you Daniel me, you bastard," I interjected. Angry tears streamed down my cheeks but I didn't care. Honestly, at this point, Vlad had seen me at every possible phase of vulnerability.

Vlad gave me a stern look, "Do not disrespect me!"

"Or what," I screamed out. "There's nothing else you could do to me. You strip me of my pride, my dignity, my principles. You stole my innocence. I have nothing, I don't even own my soul anymore. I sold it to get you to stop!"

"Daniel," Vlad said sternly. "You have no idea what else I can do to you. There are more ways to skin a cat!"

"Go ahead! Skin me. Look at that God damned bed, Vlad. My skin is already there!"

"Daniel, you rein in your temper right now!"

"Oh, shut up. I'm sick of it. Hurt me, fuck me, kill me! I don't care!"

Vlad grabbed my hair and yanked. There is one thing you don't mess with and that's my hair. No one messes with the do!

I thrust my elbow backwards, knocking the wind out of him. Vlad release my hair out of surprise.

"Paws off the hair," I said, standing in a fighting position.

"You'll pay for that," Vlad said, returning to his better-than-you position. Vlad strolled over to me calmly, his position open to attack from all sides. What was his secret? Doesn't he realize someone could overwhelm him?

"My fighting skills are pretty lame-man. I rely on tactics such as rape and my powers to win battles," Vlad answered. He stopped just a few feet from me, just outside my grasp.

"Well, you've already raped me. And your powers might be more experienced than mine but I've came out of tougher scrapes," I replied cockily. I wasn't going to lose. He was going down!

"Oh, please. Name me some of your battles," Vlad remarked. My head began to hurt again. It must be his voice. Vlad smirked.

"Well, I once defeated a lunch lady controlling a 50 foot meat monster," I said, trying to sound like it was the biggest ordeal.

"Lunch Lady? Honestly," Vlad said, unimpressed. He actually sounded disappointed.

"That's not all," I defended. "You saw me defeat Skulker. That was the second time I've done that."

"Aw, yes. According to Skulker, a gorilla done it for the first time and if I recall correctly you didn't defeat Skulker here. He trapped you in my spectral energy neutralizer and nearly took off your head had it not been for me."

I growled. He was correct. I couldn't beat Skulker when he attacked back in October. Delilah had beaten him down and all I did was suck him into the thermos. He's even come back since the reunion but Tucker has to shut him down with his PDA before I can capture him. "I've also defeated a dragon!"

"Aw, you've met the crown princess of the medieval zone. Dora's her name," I didn't know that! She's a princess? "Her Dragon form is quite complex but once you remove her medallion she is quite easy to overthrow. Such a horrible fate, really: to carry all one's power on the neck in an easy-to-remove piece."

Shit, I'm running out of impressive details. Sidney's was more embarrassing than brag worthy! Then there is Desiree and Ember—both humiliating! I overcame Spectra right after the reunion but he'll probably find the fact I fell under her spell in the first place a disgrace.

"Who is this Spectra? I've never heard of her before," Vlad asked. My heart sank. How could I have been so stupid! He was listening in the entire time! "It's not stupidity, it is the act of being naïve. Of course I'd listen in. You're right, this Sidney, Desiree and Ember battles are quite embarrassing. Daniel!"

I looked away, too furious and embarrassed to look him in the eyes. "Spectra was a temporary therapist that came to our school. She was a ghost but, like us, blended in. She turned up the cold in the room so that when my ghost sense went off I just thought it was my breath. Her game was making children miserable and she fed off that misery to stay young. She's a shadow ghost that uses humans with no soul to get around."

"She's a soul jumper," Vlad said, amazed. "Interesting. I wonder who she was severed from."

"Severed? What do you mean?"

"Do you know that young man who rides a motorcycle," Vlad asked me. Of course! Johnny! I defeated him, without humiliation, last week! "Yes, that's his name. He is what you call an in-between. Most in-between's are created by dying after having a piece of themselves die—like on life support. Johnny was involved in a motorcycle accident and died on life support. Because he died after a piece of him had already died, he formed a shadow. The shadow took shape of an emotion and he feeds off of it to support himself."

"Bad luck," I said, light dawning.

"Yes, yes. Well, this Spectra sounds like a shadow of someone else that broke away before she could connect. Spectra isn't real, just a projection of someone who was," Vlad answered.

"How do you know so much," I asked, amazed.

"Well, I didn't know until I'll was granted access to the Ghost Zone library. There are millions of books—a rich, vast wealth of knowledge—all there for your education."

"Reading," I said distastefully.

"You are hopeless, child," Vlad smirked.

"I'm not a child," I retorted.

"Oh, please. You're baby. A newborn practically. You're way in over your head," Vlad replied immediately.

"I'm stronger than you think," I said, trying to defend my name.

"I'm sure you are," Vlad replied, unfazed. "It's just that not many ghost compare to our vast depths of power."

"So you're saying if I was an average ghost…" I trailed off. I'd feared this.

"You'd be ordinary. Same old, same old," Vlad said, detached. "Plain Jane."

"Okay, I'm your bitch. I get that but do you have to classify me as a woman?"

"Guys aren't bitches. Look it up. The bitch is the female dog," Vlad said. He took a step towards me and I instantly forgot the friendly atmosphere we have forged moments ago. However, once he was on top of me, I noticed I couldn't move. Come to think of it…

"I can't move," I said panicked.

"I told you. I don't fight with my fists like barbarians like you. I fight with my mind. You can have all the muscles in the world and not win a game of chess. Life is a game of chess, Daniel."

"You've got to be kidding me. You're doing this," I said, growing panicked.

"My mind is. It's your most valuable muscle. Remember to exercise it as much as your body and your powers. One day, you may need it to escape another situation like this," Vlad said. He stood directly in front of me, his red eyes staring me down.

Vlad grabbed me and pushed me towards the bed. He only allowed the muscle he wanted to move and not a one more. I couldn't fight back, I couldn't move. Soon, I couldn't breathe. He could get me like this anytime he wanted to. If I was being stubborn or disobedient, he could make me his personal puppet.

When we made it to the bed, Vlad lifted himself and I into the air and landed on the bed, in the center. Well, I guess it wasn't in the dead center. My arms are still in the fighting position and the blood of our first 10 hours is right beside me.

I was lying on my back, unable to move or fight back. Vlad grabbed my hands and positioned them to my side, flexing them outward. "Let's get busy with step 10 so we can get done soon and start phase 2."

Vlad was lying on top of me so I know he can't do anything. Despite his opinion, I am not a woman. He cannot enter my backend through the front. It would be impossible.

Vlad smirked again. "I'm going to humor you." Vlad said, I guess to my thought. He grabbed my knees and lifted them and me into the air. He bent my knees over his neck and the next thing I know, he was sticking his penis in my ass. I screamed out. "This is for later. It's a little more painful than normal homosexual sex."

"No shit, Dick Tracy," I said, breathing hard after Vlad pulled his penis from my ass. I have no idea who Dick Tracy is, I just heard Mom Number Two say it enough.

Vlad lowered my knees and myself back to the bed. He climbed back on top of me, his full weight crushing me. He traced his finger on my small frame that outlined my ribs. His finger came up off my rib cage and shot a line up my sternum. He kept chasing my body with his finger, making me dread what was next.

"The worst of it is over. Now we're getting the things that would make you uncomfortable: me seeing you naked, touching parts of what used to be your body, putting my hands on you. All that could really ruin a perfect moment if you're unaccustomed to it."

"Really," I asked, mockery and sarcasm in my voice.

"It also gives me a chance to look at you. In the first 10 steps, I don't have a chance to appreciate or even get to view the body. This is my opportunity to view my object," Vlad said. I closed my eyes and quieted a sob. It was hard to hear Vlad regard me as something such as a vase. I was a person. I don't understand how someone could claim someone as property.

"You've heard of slavery, bondage, and the such? It's the same thing. My bitch is a term substituting my slave. You're mine," Vlad answered.

Vlad ran his finger down my left chest plate, stopping just above my nipple. He outstretched his fingers until his fist was an outstretched top of hand. He rested his palm on top of my nipple and cupped his fingers over it.

He rolled my nipple in his fingers and then he started tugging. I felt the pain but I didn't fill the pleasure I was told someone feels when the nipples are touched. The pain was minimal. I didn't even squint. I just took it, ignoring it. It's the first thing sexually he's done to me that I could. I know what they say: don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

Vlad positioned himself until he was no longer on top of me but lying beside me on my right. He still played with my left nipple but he took my right one in his mouth and began to suck. I still didn't feel anything but Vlad was more forceful with his mouth.

When I saw Vlad last month, I wasn't sure I'd seen correctly. However, on my nipple, I knew for sure: he had fangs. It was official: he was a bloodsucker. Just then, probably on cue, Vlad bit down on my nipple, drawing blood. My eyes popped open, my muscles flexed and I grunted but I didn't scream.

"You're learning… to appreciate… the lighter side…of… my pain," Vlad said, stopping to lick the blood from my right nipple.

"Your pain," I said, looking down my torso to look at him. "I thought I was the one in pain."

"No," Vlad said. He licked again. "It's my pain because you belong to me." Vlad removed his gloved hand from my left nipple and started to squeeze my right one to get more blood. Once he got a sizable pool, he licked it clean before it spilt over. Vlad started to milk it some more.

"Oh," I said. It actually sounded genuine because I was trying to focus on not feeling the pain. It wasn't comparable to the pain I felt five hours ago. I wouldn't scream!

When the blood clotted, and the puncture eventually healed, Vlad moved off my nipples. He ran his hand, fingers first, towards my crotch. It was finally gonna happen. Since that first night to yesterday he'll finally get his hands on my penis.

I don't know why this bothered me so. He had already fucked me, he's kissed me, and just a moment ago he had played with my nipples. What's the big deal with him touching my penis? It's irrational. I've been violated every imaginable way. Him touching me shouldn't matter.

But it did. The minute he touched my penis in his hands it was that night all over again. I strangled a scream and began to cry. It wasn't a painful scream or cry. It was one of discomfort.

"Please. Please, Vlad, don't do this. I-I can't stand it," I said, my tears flowing freely.

"That's what this step is for. You have to be over these petty modesty issues. You have nothing you could hide from me. Any inadequacies or secrets you have are mine to share," Vlad said. He didn't speak like a lover complementing his mate about appearance though he tried. He sounded like a buyer complaining about a blemish on a painting. It's ugly, but it's part of the piece.

Vlad's hand ran the staff of my penis repeatedly. I didn't feel anything here either. He lifted my cock up and ran his glove down slowly. I felt so dirty. I felt so ashamed. I close my eyes. It was easier that way.

When I close my eyes, I wasn't in Wisconsin. I was not in this house and Vlad wasn't fucking me. I could be anywhere: back home, at school, at the Nasty Burger. It didn't matter as long as I wasn't here. I could even close it off. I didn't feel his hand anymore. He wasn't there anymore.

Sometime later, I felt the bed shift. I reluctantly opened my eyes. Vlad had moved to the foot of the bed and positioned over my legs.

"Keep your eyes open for this," Vlad remarked as his head disappeared between my legs. I really expected I would be the only one giving blowjobs.

I felt a cool, misty substance come over my staff. Vlad had my entire penis in his throat, moving his mouth over the staff then taking it again. I didn't feel any pleasure here either. What is it? Am I not able to cum?

Vlad chuckled in my head, _Daniel, have you ever came before?_

"I'm 14, stupid. Of course not," I answered, offended. What kind of boy did he think I was?

_I wasn't questioning your modesty_, Vlad replied telepathically. _It's just you seem to think being touched one time will have you cuming. You have to first be physically and mentally turned on before you can cum and if you somehow manage that it'll take a couple or more times for you to achieve sexual satisfaction._

There's a lot of rules of being raped, isn't there? I thought like an idiot. If I could have moved, I'd face-palmed.

Vlad chuckled again. _Well, in most forms of entertainment people are coming on the first time and when their raped and it's not one of those chick support films they cum. It doesn't happen in real life. An orgasm is mental satisfaction come to a full circle as physical emotion._

So there's a chance I'll never cum, I asked Vlad.

_No_, Vlad applied. _You'll eventually get used to the pain or I'll lessen it for good behavior._

What about the mental satisfaction part? I'll never want to be touched by you. I'm not gay, I responded.

_Well, after a while if you haven't fully surrendered to my will, I'll put in the mental satisfaction until you start to feel it on your own. And there will be many times I will cum that you will not. And that's okay. That's what it's all about. My personal satisfaction_!

Yeah. Can't have you unsatisfied, I remarked dryly.

_Do you want to feel satisfaction_, Vlad asked me.

My mind just froze. He was asking me if I wanted to cum. I didn't know how to answer that! Sure, yeah I'll want to know what he'll expect of me so I won't get hurt…

And before I could complete my next thought, I was breathing deeply. My breath was shallow and it gave my head a funny feeling. I went to command my legs to move but Vlad still had them pined with both his mind and his body.

My breathing started to grow more frequent. I stopped exhaling slowly and my breaths were becoming shallower. I wanted to raise my head off the mattress to look at him but I was still pinned. My knees wanted to buckle, my back wanted to arch. My breathing soon became rapid, barely an inhale collected before I exhaled again. My head throbbed to a new pattern. It was as if my heartbeat was in my ears. Then I started.

"Oh," I moaned my first sign of total satisfaction. I couldn't feel upset or wronged like I know I would if Vlad wasn't influencing my feelings. It felt right. It felt like it fit. It felt like I was born to be with him. My head pounded, my heartbeat was erratic and I desperately wanted to move in synch with Vlad. "Yes! Yes," I cried. My back ached to arch but I still couldn't move. Just then I felt a… I don't know, a pinch, in my penis and I grunted.

I thought someone blew my head off. Vlad sucked at my penis, my head pounded and I felt so tired. My body went lax, no longer desiring to move and I was out of breath. Vlad finally came up between my legs and sat on the clean side of the bed.

My feelings became my own and I suddenly felt the abuse feeling wash over me. I hadn't felt any of that a few minutes ago. Vlad had made me feel like that. I wasn't alive to be with him. I don't desire to please him. I hated him! He's raping me!

"I just did that to let you feel what it'd be like, Daniel," he said in an aggravated tone. It was like he was explaining why he put someone on a last call list not someone he screwed with their minds.

"I hadn't decided. I didn't want that," I said, growing emotional. The one thing I thought being a fucking half ghost couldn't touch just got thrown out the window! Someone has screwed with my mind.

"Daniel, I'm not the only one to do that to you. You told me Spectra fed off misery. She made you feel those emotions; they weren't natural."

"No," I said, losing control. "Spectra took an emotion that… no, a weakness that made someone miserable and added gasoline to the fire. She hit a nerve I had. I had real insecurities! I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat. I was blurring the line between reality and fantasy and it was all your fault!" I raised my voice for my next sentence and I would've raised a finger had he given me my God damned mobility back! "You raped me and I had no fucking clue that you did. All I knew was you forced me to my stomach, I felt pain and you grunted. I had no damn clue what you did on that table until last night when you touched me! You made me the way I am. I know you all of four fucking days and my world was shattered!"

"Daniel, calm down," Vlad said.

"Don't you dare tell me to calm down! You stole something from me and I damn well want it back." I bust out in full tears, "Give it back!"

"What," Vlad asked. I think he was truly concerned and maybe a little scared. Not of me… but of my mental health.

"My innocence," I whispered, crying uncontrollably as I finally broke. I had not an ounce of fight left in me. I was done.

"None of this is necessary, Daniel. You could end this torture," Vlad said.

"How," I asked crying. Vlad moved up to lie next to me. I was ready; I'd do whatever he wanted me to.

"One of two ways. Either one will be fine," Vlad spoke. Just spit it out already. "Renounce your father and join me… or… surrender your body to me."

Vlad reached over me and pulled me to him until we were a breath's apart. I felt sick. I had to turn my back on my dad or be his lover. My lips had feeling again and I had a clue as to what choice he wanted from me… or what choice he thought I'd choose.

I closed my eyes, preparing to give in to his desire when I had a vision. Usually my visions occur when I'm asleep but this would need just as much attention as my pathetic dreams. Dream-1 Danny was sitting on that dirty cell, years passing by. Finally, the procession ceased and I saw Vlad in dream-1 Danny's cell again. Dream-1 Danny cried uncontrollably as Vlad asked, "This doesn't have to be this way. Now it's time for the second step: join me."

"I-I'll do it," Dream-Danny spoke, his head cast downward to hide his shame. Dream Danny's voice broke as he surrendered his final allegiance: "Father."

"Good boy, Daniel. You done good!" Vlad removed my chains and took me from the cell. Vlad cleaned him up and suddenly Dream-2 Danny stood there. Dream Danny and Vlad were once again in the Amity Park skyline.

"You allowed me to go through that. Alone! You let me down," Dream Danny screamed at Sam and Tucker.

"We didn't know," Sam cried.

"You should have been there for me. If you had been I wouldn't have been forced to take this route," Dream Danny had accused. That was the dream's purpose. I had to fight to the death. I couldn't give up. Not even once. No matter what kind of pain he put me through I couldn't give up. All paths of surrender lead to another path of surrender and the trail ended in Dream-2 Danny. Dream-1 Danny had surrendered too many times. Dream-2 Danny was always his destiny.

I pulled my head back, "No. I can't. I owe it to too many people to fight back. I can't give up."

Vlad grew angry and frustrated. I had almost given up and he knew that. Vlad rose to his knees in a huff, grabbed my waist and flipped me on my belly. I felt a motion in my stomach and my weight disappeared so I think he turned me intangible.

Instead of putting his fist behind my thighs, Vlad reached his hand behind my penis and fondled with my balls. Once he could do that without me reacting, Vlad move slowly to my anus. Once again, after I could handle that he moved fiercely between the two, taking all the time he wanted.

Vlad ran his hands over my bottom half over and over. He would drive his hand between the two and handle it however he wished. His glove would rub my balls or he'd stick a finger—or four—at the tip of my anus.

Vlad took both of my balls in his hand and stretched them until I grunted in discomfort. Then Vlad drug his fingers along the skin in the middle. As he ran over the area between my balls and anus, he was applying pressure. Suddenly, an overwhelming sensation of discomfort and unease overcame me.

"What's this," Vlad asked as I struggled. He stopped touching whatever that was but I moved restlessly. Vlad moved to the floor at the foot of the bed when I felt the bed's weight shift. Next thing I knew, Vlad used his powers to lift me in the air, flipping me over to be on my back again, placing me at the end of the bed.

I couldn't move anymore because I was frozen again. Vlad relaxed my leg muscles but I swear it was one at a time as he positioned me into… bad analogy, I know, but in a birthing position.

He repeated the procedure until both of my knees bent in the position and I was wide open. Vlad stuck his hand between my legs and immediately went for the tender spot. I went into hysterics and tried to fight the bond holding me still—no dice. Vlad massaged and felt around the spot, his grin growing over every display of discomfort on my part.

"Vlad," I cried out. "Please, please. Stop that."

"I don't think so," he said cheerfully. "This is wonderful!" from the corner of my eye I saw a second Plasmius appear from a purple light. The duplicate headed out of the room in a dash as Vlad moved his fingers all over that area. I felt a pressure and I swore he impelled something in me.

I gasped out in pain and my breathing became ragged. I didn't feel any blood but I knew he put some kind of incisor between my legs.

Plasmius returned holding a book, "It confirms it. It's universal with ghosts. Even though we're half it is still present."

"Damn," Vlad replied sharply. He was still happy but slightly disappointed at the same time.

"Do you need anything else," Plasmius asked the original.

"No, no. I'm good. Return the book then return yourself," Vlad remarked. Plasmius nodded to Vlad then disappeared down the hall. "Well, I have some news. I can't believe it but it's true. This," Vlad said touching the area, "proves it."

"Wh-what is that," I asked, the feeling driving me insane. "And could you not do that?"

"No, I won't stop touching it. It'll be my favorite part of you," Vlad said, putting his entire hand on top of the area. I struggled and let out some moans of discomfort.

"Please, Vlad," I begged. I could already see the problem.

"No. This will be what breaks you. This'll be my ticket to a job well done," Vlad responded. Damn, he knows what I know.

"What is it," I asked, taking my mind off my torture for the next little while. God knows how long I can manage to last.

"Well, ghosts are A-sexual. Now, have you had biology before?"

"Not biology but I've had science and it explained something about A-sexuality."

"Well, some species of frog is too A-sexual but unlike them, ghosts can't reproduce without a partner. Ghost are capable of having children no matter what the two sexes: Woman-man, woman-woman, man-man. Even the man of the heterosexual couple can carry the baby."

"Holy cow! How," I asked. I don't get how this fits into our previous conversation.

"Women have a small set of balls between their legs and men," he said, grabbing it again. I didn't anticipate on him grabbing it again so I reflexively tried to jump. "Men have vaginas."

"Wow. Th-that's really something," I said. "I'm sorry to interrupt and we can go back to talking about it after you tell me but what is that sensitive area?"

Vlad's brow furrowed, "Daniel, that is what we are talking about. You have a vagina and there's a good chance I do too."

**AN: For chapter companions, visit**** fan fiction dot net slash my forums slash Team 04 Phantom slash 3876657****. I will try my best to explain how my crazy mind works.**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I still don't own Danny Phantom. Anyone out there got any ideas on how to buy it? Lol. Not that I could afford it. :(

AN: This chapter contains graphic rape scenes, explicit sex scenes and male sex. If this disturbs you, please do not read.

Chapter Three: Questions and Answers

I tried denying it but I knew better. It completely made sense but at the same time made no sense at all. "No. No. No! I don't have a vagina. Boys don't have vaginas. We have penises. You are mistaken."

"Daniel, I'm not mistaken. Feel it yourself," he said. He grabbed my hand and moved me to have my hand between my legs after he lowered one leg. Behind my penis, behind my balls, in front of my anus was a sticky, wet and tender slot. He forced my hand to move around. I couldn't deny it, even aloud. I had a vagina.

My hand massaged involuntarily at my vagina, moving a finger up the shaft… cavity with no regard to my wishes. I willed my legs to move but I still could not. Touching it himself just wasn't an option, he had to make me. I hated the feeling. It felt so unnatural and touching it made me go berserk.

My hand suddenly stopped moving and I don't believe it was because of my strong dislike of the action. My hand moved involuntarily back to my side and my leg back to the position of the other, just a shy different. The other leg leveled with the one that was different, giving myself an angle. My back got the feeling of something propping it up because no matter how hard I pushed backward, I hit a wall. However, the support didn't save my back the discomfort of sitting in an awkward position.

Vlad put his hand back at my… my vagina and began to play with it. I discovered why I wanted to do it myself when those gloves put roughness and discomfort together and they became friends. Vlad kept at it the same speed he had forced me to do it so it wasn't that he wanted me to do it faster. He just wanted his gloves to add more intensity on the area.

Vlad used his entire hand to massage, using the ball of his fist to add pressure and a finger to break the boundaries. Every one of his fingers played a part: his thumbs acted as an incisive, pressuring the walls to a point of near collapse. His pinky served as an introduction to penetration. His index added depth. And so forth of the ring and middle fingers.

Vlad never gave time to get used to it nor to prepare. It was one, two, three, four, five, ball. Pinky, index, ring, middle, thumb, ball. Always, then Vlad would do it again. I don't think he was trying to get me used to it. As he said, it was his ticket to breaking me.

It didn't hurt but it was utterly uncomfortable and completely disarraying. I would try to wiggle, struggle, or anything to escape the 1-2-3-4-5-ball. I hated that.

Finally he stopped the sequence and for a second I breathed. Then I started to worry: would he move on to another location or to another method?

Vlad positioned himself just below my legs and horrifyingly his lips met my vagina. I would have kicked, clawed, scrambled or anything to get away from him but his mind had a tight leash on me. I screamed out in horror, fighting the bonds of my mind and trying desperately to move away.

The more I fought, the more Vlad liked this. I was strangling out screams and begging him to stop nearly at the same time. I reached out with my mind: Please, please, please. I'm begging you. Stop!

_Not a chance_, Vlad replied, the smile practically visible in his voice. _This drives you nuts. You're almost cuming right now. There's no stopping you, despite your discomfort. This is amazing!_

Please, Vlad. Please I'll do anything. I'll become your apprentice. I'll leave my family. I'll surrender my body. Please! I'll do all three! Please, just…

And just like that, I came. My head nearly popped off my shoulders and the pressure that built up floated away.

"That's weird," Vlad said, breathlessly. "I came to."

"You sick bastard. You enjoyed that. My discomfort gave you pleasure!" I screamed, the tears forming. I bit them back, too angry to cry.

"This is your fault. You had your chance to give in. You blew it," Vlad accused me.

"Then why didn't you take it," I asked. "I was surrendering. I was giving you everything. Why deny my offer then?"

"I'll never take an offer during us time. A bug will say anything before it's crushed," Vlad reported. Vlad looked at his watch. "Well, we've spend enough time on this step that I think I'll pass you. We need to work on step twelve."

"Please tell me it don't have anything to do with… the sensitive area," I asked. I couldn't say the real word. It was getting too weird.

"No, we won't be working with the vagina in the next step," Vlad said. I close my eyes, trying to forget. Just go to a happy place or anywhere far from here.

Vlad got up from the bed but I remain frozen in my place. Vlad was gone for several minutes, leaving me some much-needed alone time. It may only be 3 minutes, but I'm extremely happy.

When Vlad returned, I hadn't noticed. I was facing the room's front and the door was on the sidewall. I hadn't noticed Vlad until he was again at my feet.

Vlad had a plastic bin in his possession when I saw him. Vlad grabbed a long, vertical shaft from the bin. The device was made of a hard substance.

"This is the shake and shimmy," Vlad informed me. Well, the name sounds fun.

"What does it do," I asked.

Vlad looked at me funny. "It shakes and it shimmies," he said slowly as if I were stupid.

"I kinda guessed. I'm also gonna take another jab and say it goes over my penis so you won't have to state another thing that's pretty obvious. So, I'll ask again, what does it do?"

"Well, you can't blame me for misunderstanding. You are pretty painfully stupid," Vlad said, meant as an apology. Vlad shook his head. Or maybe not.

"This goes over the penis and it vibrates back and forth until you cum. After you cum," Vlad said in an informative fashion and lifted up with the hose, "this catches your cum and dispenses it into a bucket. Probably the bin."

"And what will you do with the cum," I asked. I hoped he wouldn't say 'you drink it.'

"No, I don't waste good cum. Yours, I'll freeze and use at a latter date what I don't drink. Others, it depends if I like it," Vlad answered.

"You drink others cum," I asked in shock.

"Yes, I do. I wouldn't ask someone to drink mine if I wouldn't do the same. The only time I go against my word is if I hate the taste. Then, only occasionally will they be forced to drink it."

"What about me. Say I don't like your cum," I asked, hoping.

"I never said they have to like it. It's only if I wouldn't do the same. Yours is like nectar," Vlad replied. Oh, well, I got my wish once.

"A rare occurrence, indeed," Vlad said mischievously.

"So, what do we do first," I asked in a let's-get-this-started tone.

"The Shake and Shimmy," Vlad replied.

"This is step 12, isn't it. Your toys," I asked, never losing my enthusiasm.

"I like the attitude," Vlad commented.

"You won't my reason," I said, exuberant.

"What are your reasons," Vlad asked, interested.

"Step twelve. The last one," I said cheekily.

"We start back at the beginning," he said, mocking my tone. Or maybe he was happy too!

You've got to be kidding me, I want to say but from past experience I knew the truth. After I pass and graduate, he'll start over.

Vlad slipped the Shake and Shimmy over my penis and placed the tube in a tall cup. Once positioned, he flipped the on switch.

One thing he forgot to mention was the speed. Its purpose was not to cause pain but to create orgasms. I think it could probably tell what caused me the most pleasure. At first it went so fast that my skin started to peel but then it registered that I didn't enjoy that and it slowed way down.

"This thing starts back from its last setting until it finds the appropriate setting. I used the shake and shimmy last."

"You find that pleasuring," I asked slowly but still shocked.

"Very. I love it when pain and pleasure intermix, even when it's mine," Vlad answered. Of course, pain was his pleasure.

The Shake and Shimmy slowed down to a crawl and I began to feel the sensation. First I just focused on not cuming—I wanted to see if it'd turn off. I'd cum just to see that! But then the feeling got the best of me. I started to moan, then rock (hey, I can move again) and then I came. The machine turned off.

Vlad grabbed the cup, he held it up, and then said: "Here's to your first real cum with your penis. Cheers!"

"Cheers," I said, breathlessly. Just don't give me any of that.

"No way. Good cum is like good bourbon. Must only be enjoyed by those who could well enjoy it," Vlad answered. He turned the cum cup up and it went bottoms down. My stomach lurched.

"Okay," I said, fighting down the bile. "What's next?"

Vlad pulled out these two small cups. They were flexiglass I believe but they weren't very deep. Look like they could maybe hold six ounces but they were designed more like martini glasses with no stem.

"These are for the nipples. The cups fit over the nipples and they massage, or suction depending on the setting," Vlad explained. He grabbed what looked like a first aid kit. "To operate them, you put in a pad that fits the nipple," he opened the box and revealed these white foam pads that were designed like the cups. "Place the cup and pad over the nipple and start the unit." Attached to the cups was a hose hookup. Vlad brought out two hoses and a small unit. "This either adds air or sucks it away. If it adds air," Vlad attached the hose, put in a pad and started the unit, "the unit is set to massage. Air is pushed into the cup. The Pads have these wheels that spin at a determined speed. Once they start spinning, they will massage the nipples. "Now, on suction, the unit removes air from the cups. The pad for this one protects nipples from being possibly sucked off…" Vlad said.

My hands cupped my nipples protectively, "Do what?"

"It's never happened before but if the speed were to be really fast and you have an injury… which is impossible for you! All your injuries heal almost on impact but for normal people, it was a real possibility!"

"Vlad, you are not ripping my nipples off! Do you understand me," I said sternly.

"Let me show you that you have no worries," Vlad insisted. I have my doubts. A unit that could possibly rip flesh off flesh, pass!

"No choice," Vlad retorted as he took me to a bulletin board and placed an unpadded cup over a stickpin. He pushed the button back and I heard a woosh! I glanced back to the bulletin board and the pin was not on the bulletin board but in the cup.

"You are not putting those things over my nipples. I mean it!"

"Daniel, do you believe your nipples aren't as strong as a pin," Vlad asked me.

"Honestly, I don't know what my strengths and weaknesses are but I know you break bodies down until something like this could kill a person! I mean what is this? It looks like a five gallon and under fish tank pump," I accused.

"Similar. But you have nothing to be afraid of," Vlad remarked.

"No, forget it," I said, backing away from Vlad. I took a step back, commanded my legs to step away again but I didn't move. "No," I said, fearful. My body became locked down again.

Vlad took a hold of my hand and awoken the muscles one at time until I was once again on the bed, pushed towards the headboard. Vlad took the 2 cups, lined them with pads and positioned them over my nipples.

"Please, please, please. Don't do this. Come on, Fenton, break free," I mumbled, fighting with my mind to struggle from the mental restraint. Of course, nothing worked.

He could have started with the one that scared me to death but for some reason he didn't. I didn't feel grateful yet though. Vlad put air into the cups, these wheels turning around portions of my nipples. I could tell this design was made for women because the majority of my nipples wouldn't fit. However, those wheels could touch the tips and around the base of the cup.

After showing me the basic commands of the cups, he flipped the switch on the control unit. This instantly reversed airflow and the wheels spun the other way. This resulted in a rather unexpected reaction from me. Where the wheels touched, a numbing sensation occurred, causing me to react.

I tried struggling but found myself still unable to move. Within a few seconds, the numbing sensation caused a little discomfort. I moaned out, wishing I could move. Soon the discomfort turned into unease, then a small pain. By the time Vlad turned the control unit off and took the cups off, I was breathing raggedly and trying my best to wiggle out of his hold.

Vlad put the cups into the bin and pulled out something else. "See, that wasn't so bad was it?"

I wanted to hit him but I contained myself. I felt the ability rushed through my veins but that didn't mean a thing. If I got out of hand, all he'd have to do is take over my mind. I am literally his puppet. He pulls my strings.

I didn't want to be here anymore. I just didn't care anymore. I laid my head to the side, facing the back wall. I don't care what Vlad does to me, I won't be here to witness it.

As I stare at the plain white walls, I feel the pain lessened as I've gone further from it. I don't hear Vlad's voice anymore describing those toys. Nothing is there any more. I'm finally free.

I could go anywhere now and it feels so great. I go back to August 27 and instead of giving in to Sam and Tuckers pleas, we go to the mall. None of this happens because I'm just an ordinary teenager. Or maybe instead of not going to the lab, I ignore those vultures flying over Amity. We never go to Wisconsin.

I'm not here, having a supposed friend of my parents talking to me in totally inappropriate phrases. I haven't been touched, or hurt, or raped or anything. Vlad Masters, the billionaire of Wisconsin, only heard of him!

Then another thought occurs to me. What would happen if I had told Mom and Dad about my nightmares? Would it have been different if I told them about that night? They are older. They would have known what he done to me. Maybe they could have saved me…

Maybe they can still save me?!

Before I left for school, Mom had given me specific instructions to call her when I made it to Vlad's. I had just landed when I went to unpack. Maybe she'll get worried and come check on me now that it's been 10 hours and I haven't called. They can still come rescue me.

I imagined it, Mama Bear coming out with her claws bared and ready to maul anyone who threatened her cub. She would charge right into this mansion, uninvited and unannounced. Mom would barge into this room just like when I was four. She'd be later this time but I'd forgive her. Ten hours instead of a week, it'd still feel like a complete success.

I smiled, imagining the scenario. Mom would bust through the door, she'd see Vlad in ghost mode and she'd see me naked. She'd see all the blood. That'd be the last straw. She would tear Vlad apart molecule by molecule, starting with his massive dick. They'd wonder were Vlad Masters was, but they'd just figure Plasmius killed him when he kidnapped me. They'd never know their best friend did this.

I turned my head towards the door, coming back to reality for just a second. Vlad was doing something with my penis but once I was facing the door, I retreated again. I could no longer hear Vlad or feel him around my penis. I watched the door, knowing what was coming next.

Come on, Mom. I know you're worried. I haven't called. You told me to call. You do not let me go half a day without checking in. You'd want to know if I'm settled in all right. You'd want to know I was okay. I'm not, Mom. Please, help me.

I stared at the door seemed to be for an eternity. Mom wasn't coming through that door. She hadn't yet but I knew she would. I just know she will. Of course, she had to get here first; it took two days to get here through Thanksgiving. I know Mom can make it here sooner. Dad just wanted us to look our best when we met his friend. Mom wouldn't care what she looked like. She'd get here in the 6 to 8 hours it'd normally take.

The real world tried forcing me back but I fought against it. I felt real pain this time and it took me no time at all to know where it was coming from. I started to feel pain then I began to notice the other things. I forced my eyes away from the doorway to look at Vlad. I couldn't see him but I could feel him.

"Welcome back, Little Badger. How was your trip," Vlad asked smug and mockingly.

I started to scream, not being able to hold it in. There was no begging and no tears but I could feel the latter coming on. I refused to beg but if this keeps on, I can't resist for long.

My legs were back in the position, I noticed, from right after he found the sensitive area. I screamed as the pain kept a constant magnitude. It wasn't getting any worse, but it wasn't getting any better either. I wanted it to stop. I was honestly at the point I do anything to make it stop.

The pain suddenly turned to severe discomfort and I saw Vlad pop up between my legs.

"When you're ready, let me know. This is a new step for me," Vlad said.

I waited for the discomfort to vanish. I kept waiting and waiting. It never even dimmed. I could see Vlad watching intently from the corner. After 30 minutes, Vlad returned to my feet. My pain never ended.

"This is a remarkable. You even grew accustomed to my penis after 3 minutes. I left you alone for 10 minutes and you still show great discomfort. Amazing!"

"T-ten minutes. That's all," I said, breathless. Time seems three times longer to me.

Vlad knelt down to my pelvic area and placed four fingers over the sensitive area. I squirmed and bit back screams. Vlad grew excited, "I'm barely touching it! This is wonderful!"

If I wasn't in so much pain, I'd get angry but the pain ceased all fury. I just kept listening to Vlad's exuberant rant. He took sheer pleasure from the fact this cause me sheer pain.

Vlad finally ended his everything-is-perfect speech as he came back into my viewpoint, saying: "Well, you're useless to me this way. If this drives you insane, you won't be able to handle my penis. You'll definitely lose your mind."

Vlad flipped me over onto my belly, not elaborating anything more about the sensitive area nor removing whatever was causing the discomfort. I felt his hands tighten around my waist and I knew I was about to be fucked again. However, one thing did bother me. I felt the cold that had always accompanied the sex disappear.

I waited for Vlad to plunge deep into me but the pain never came. Then, I felt his hands balled up… then he began to rock.

"Vlad" I asked. The pain was nonexistent. If I'm not mistaken, he's having sex with me.

"Yes, Daniel," Vlad asked me, his breathing ragged.

"Why am I not in pain," I asked, surprised.

"You don't feel any pain," Vlad asked me, his breath still ragged. He sounded pleased.

"No… I mean my… sensitive spot is still uncomfortable. But my ass… I mean, you're fucking me, aren't you?"

Vlad laughed, clearly amused. "I like to imagine it's lovemaking, but yes. We are involved in sexual activity."

"What are you doing differently," I asked. I felt really… dare I say it? Giddy! I could talk while having Vlad have sex with me. Maybe it's not as bad as I thought.

"Before you make that assumption, you should know are both in human form," Vlad said, the smile evident in his voice.

"You're Masters," I asked surprised. Damn! I hadn't expected it to be that big of a difference.

"Yeah, it's a big difference. Humans and ghosts weren't meant to be sexually active," Vlad explained.

"Well, that's for damn sure," I interrupted him.

"Which is why it makes great punishment," Vlad finished, his voice adding an octane.

"So," I added sharply. I decided to start a conversation. "Why did you power down? I was under the influence I was a bad boy."

"This is indifferent to your behavior although cooperating does keep it basic. I told you I'd start back at step one when we finished. Here we are," Vlad said.

"Wait a minute. This is the first time we've had sex in human form," I asked, confused.

"That's true but it's not the first time we've had sex in the same form," Vlad remarked.

"So Step One was back in November and you consider it as sex in the same form… not ghost sex," I asked to clarify.

"Yes," Vlad answered. Vlad's breathing was incredibly shallow and I figured he was about to blow. I was very scared of that thought, not knowing how his cum will feel.

Vlad fell over on top of me with his powerful burst. I awaited the painful liquid to arrive but it never did. Then I felt Vlad pull out of my anus. He didn't completely withdraw though, as he was halfway in my anus still.

I felt Vlad's hands on my shoulders all of a sudden. "Stand up, Daniel. This will make it easier."

I did what he said, somewhat in a daze. Vlad took my hands, folded them over my chest, and held my arms in place securely. "Know that this is not a punishment. The only time I will do this other than training is for punishment but you haven't done anything deserving this kind of reaction. You've been doing remarkably, especially for a child."

Vlad really sounded sincere… hell, almost apologetic. This was supposed to be steps I've already been through. Shouldn't I have already completed this? The second step was… oh, taking Vlad halfway through.

My mind stopped considering Vlad's change in demeanor when a blinding, white hot, excruciating pain entered my anus. My breathing ceased, my body went numb except for my anus and even it was strange. I felt something familiar run down my legs…

"Daniel, breathe. Come on, it'll lessen the pain. Daniel, breathe," Vlad was yelling. Vlad's hands struggled to hold mine. He was slower and clumsier. His hands would just fall off me like I had oil on my hands and he had gloved hands… wait! He does.

I spun around, Vlad's penis suddenly pulling out of me. Vlad Plasmius was standing behind me, shock and surprise on his face.

"Daniel, calm down," Vlad spoke. No, he yelled. "Danny, breathe!"

"No. No, you son of a bitch. You told me I done nothing wrong!"

"You didn't! But you must know how it feels if I must use that method," Vlad said, more calm this time.

"You done that to me because I might—might—need that kind of discipline method! You're not even sure I'll ever need that," I screamed aloud.

"Daniel, you need to breathe. You're not thinking clearly," Vlad said. I then noticed his hands out in a peace-making form.

"Of course I'm not thinking clearly. You went from human to ghost while inside me. My anus had already formed around your human penis then it expanded more than 2 times its size. Wouldn't you be thinking unclearly," I said, stepping toward him, extending my finger in his direction.

"Back up," Vlad ordered.

"No. I'm leaving," I said, taking another step.

"You are not leaving until I release you. I gave you a heads up. I held your hands down so you wouldn't hurt yourself. I even let you come to your feet so the pressure wouldn't be all on one place—your knees."

"I don't give a damn what you think you've done for me. I'm finished," I stated boldly.

"Afraid not," Vlad answered. A cocky grin made its way to my face.

"You will have to be better than previously displayed to hold me back. One thing you need to know about me is you don't make me hit my knees," I stated.

"Daniel, what are you talking about? You've shown absolutely no competition against me," Vlad replied.

"Before. But when I hit my knees, I come up swinging," I replied.

"You are not leaving," Vlad said, confident in his own way. I hate to tell him that he has no chance.

I felt the familiar white rings form at my mid-section and the cool yet comforting feeling of Phantom wash over me. The transformation took a matter of practically no seconds but the simple effect made all the difference.

"Daniel," Vlad said threateningly. But I'm not listening. I'm leaving! I may not go home but I'm not staying here.

I lifted off the ground, preparing to make a beeline for the exit. Vlad lifted off the ground as well but if he thinks he can out run—or fly—me, he has another thing coming.

A purple light encased Vlad then suddenly split into four separate Vlad's. This was my downfall at the reunion so I need to be careful. The Vlad's separated to corner me but he left a large area open. Sure, I have to go intangible, but I am a ghost. Hello!

I made my move, nearing the wall. I felt the weightlessness of intangibility… then the solid stony wall. I shook the pebbles from my hair, stunned. Then I felt Plasmius's leather glove and all went black.

XXX

I awoke suddenly, my heart still racing one hundred miles per hour from the conflict and my head pounding erratically. I was lying flat on my back for some reason but when I went to pull myself up I was met with restraints. These, however, were not metal. When I pulled, a hot, burning sensation cut into flesh.

"Well done, Little Badger. That was quite the fight you put up. I had to actually plan ahead," Vlad's voice broadcasted from somewhere in the room. I couldn't see much besides the celling and the top of the walls.

I groaned. "W-What do you mean? Plan," I said, breathlessly. "How could you have possibly anticipated my powers giving out! It was luck," I spat, still breathless.

"Luck had nothing to do with it. I forced you to use your intangibility and when you went for it, I cut it off," Vlad said. I don't know how you can cut off intangibility. It's not physical!

"Cut it off? How could you cut intangibility? It's a state of mind," I asked.

I heard Vlad's voice cover a quick laugh, "Boy, you are really dumb. Remind me to check your grades after the New Year. Yes, intangibility is a state of mind. All ghost powers are. That's how I can control other's powers. Don't you remember when we first began how you powered up your ectoplasmic energy?"

"Yeah," I said slowly. I do seldom remember that. It's been so long ago. When Vlad was kissing me and unbuttoning my pants, I ecto-charged my fists to fight back.

"Yes," Vlad answered. "As soon as I put my hands on you, there was no amount of fighting you could put up. For some reason, mine is strongest in physical form. Even if someone can fight my control, such as you earlier when we were in step two, no one can resist the control once I put my hands on them."

"That's why you made me hit my head. I'd be disoriented…" I was catching on.

"Just like I witnessed when I threw you at the wall a few weeks ago," Vlad told me where he got the idea from.

"But I still don't get one thing. If you couldn't control my mind to restrain me, how could you stop one of my powers?"

Vlad groaned out, "This will be impossible to explain to you! The easiest way to explain it is like… well, no, you don't drive!" He groaned out again. "The quick version is—whether you get it or not—it's easier to control one piece alone than an entire board."

Vlad came into my sight suddenly, and took hold of my wrist. The constant burn ceased and he flipped me over until I was on my stomach. My other arm was still secured and moving it only caused the burn to intensify, causing me to hiss. Vlad took the free arm and pulled it beside my connected and bound arm, the burn returning. He then grabbed the arm that was bent in an awkward position, the burn ceasing temporarily, until it was positioned on the right side for this position. The pain lessened.

Now all I can see is a sight I'm getting use to: sheets. To my left is the area all this hell begun. Above me is the headboard but it's not as easy to view. To the left is the clean area of the sheets. I have to turn my head to see that.

"Well, I have insurance so nothing like that happens again. It's going on fifteen hours together and we've got seventeen hours before we go visit Dad. Let's get cracking," Vlad said. I couldn't see him anymore but I could tell he was right over me. I could only guess what he has in store for me.

I felt Vlad slip in my anus but it didn't hurt. Compared to the usual methods, it felt natural. I wonder if I'm still in ghost form—I can't tell. Vlad mentioned if we're in similar forms it feels better.

Normally I can tell by my outfit. If I see an arm then chances are I'm Fenton. If I have a black HAZMAT suit on, then I am most definitely Phantom (Mom and Dad only have orange, blue, white, green and purple). However, maybe he knows how to take my clothes off in ghost mode. I never figured it out.

My thought chain was severed into little bitty never-mind-don't-care pieces when an explosive feeling erupted. I felt my entire bottom half and my back numb over in excruciating pain. Finally, my mind went numb and I felt nothing. I heard Vlad grunting before but now—nothing. My vision got spotty and this hasn't happened since I became half ghost.

Everything seemed to happen slower. I watched the bloody mess move side to side as if I wasn't moving. It was like the bed shook but I floated above it. I looked to the door, wondering where Mom was. She don't need to come after all. This wasn't so bad.

I was completely numb. I no longer felt the burns. The bed continued to shake but I didn't feel it. A random thought occurred to me about pain and numbness but I couldn't piece it together. Something about the most pain you can't feel? How weird is that? If you can't feel it, how do you know it hurts?

It took me a second—or hell, an hour, I can't tell—to realize the bed stopped shaking. I felt something—that's good—burning. It feels like really hot water to normal people (that's how I feel it too! Before, I wouldn't have even noticed). I also feel the prick of a needle coming out of your skin (again, to a normal person). None of those two feelings has a location. At least, none I can identify.

Vlad came to stand beside me. My sight was still spotty, I noticed. I was beginning to believe they were stains.

"I'm going to leave you alone for ten minutes. That really took a lot out of you," Vlad said, sounding a little… I don't know. I didn't care. He was leaving. "I'm so sorry, Little Badger. This is the worst for you."

Vlad took my hands and placed them in front of me, alerting me to the fact they weren't restrained anymore. He looked at me then he walked away. Suddenly this… this feeling, this indescribable feeling hit me like one of Skulker's missiles.

I don't know how long I screamed but I screamed until my voice went away. I thought for sure Vlad lied to me and he was there. I hadn't heard the door shut but I rolled over and found the room empty. The burning water turned into lava, the pinch became the grabbing mechanism of those junkyard claws. The spots in my sight grew until I was looking around them to see. My hearing only picked up the blood rushing. Suddenly everything fell into focus for me. That random thought became crystal clear—there was just too much pain.

Now that my voice was hoarse, the tears began. I had no room emotionally for anger. I was hurt too badly. My rough, scratchy voice wailed with the tears. I was unashamed. I screamed and cried like a child getting their first shot. The only difference was, I'd take the shot a million times over this pain.

Hell, I'd shove it off on someone else. I didn't care anymore. Just make it stop. I wanted it to end. Vlad should have continued. At least I wouldn't feel the pain. I needed some kind of relief.

I grabbed my hair as a thought occurred to me. When I get hurt, I usually have the rings to turn me back into a human. That would then heal me but my hopes were dashed as I see jet-black hair. I'm already human. I don't know if the same works for human-to-ghost.

"Ah-Ah-I've got to—," I said, intending to finish with try. I decided to screw the sentence and triggered the rings. I didn't feel the usual feeling but what I did feel made me happy—relief.

So it works both ways. I always thought it wouldn't work in reverse because my human form was my normal form. I'm glad this worked out for me.

I came to my feet and looked at the door. Don't think, I did stupidly. I looked to the walls and triggered my intangibility. Beautiful, I thought again. Damn it!

The door swung open and Vlad stood casually in the frame.

"You are too stupid for words, Daniel. You are thinking even though you are trying not to. What I hear isn't the words you think in your head. I hear the brain synapses like the preverbal little bird. They're your snoops, not your actual thought words."

"So you knew what I was planning," I asked, defeated.

"Before you yourself did," Vlad remarked. My heart sank. "I'm still giving you your ten minutes. You have another eight left," Vlad said. He proved his point by giving me an answer on my next thought. His sentence slipped over his tongue before the thought occurred to me.

"Thank you," I replied. I wanted to kick myself for thanking him for this but I'm beginning to realize there is a lot he can do to me. He was right—I'd really mean it when I began to understand the gap between our powers.

Vlad exited the doorway and left the area. Running didn't even cross my mind because what's the point. He'd catch me. As a cruel reminder, I laughed at something I didn't find funny. He's listening now.

The first two minutes felt like there was a ten-pound weight on the second hand. The last eight however felt like the minute hand was intangible. Weightless. Vlad was back before I began to enjoy his departure fully.

"Are you ready," Vlad asked me when he walked in the door.

Without saying a word, I walked over to the bed. The center of the bed now resembled the left side. I laid down on the right side of the bed, positioning myself in the middle of the yet-to-be-destroyed side. I resumed the position I was last in, Vlad mounting me afterwards.

I felt his cold body temperature on my back and found it comforting. At least he couldn't do that to me again. Vlad placed his hands around my thighs and jerked me up. I closed my eyes.

Nothing could hurt me like transforming into a ghost. Vlad pumped in me 800 times per minute and I barely felt a thing. When he deemed it passable, he began 1200 times per minute. When he was done with Step 5, he started the really fast one.

I remember when pumping in me 1200 times per minute felt horrible. It doesn't even hurt anymore. When he was done there, he went back to 800 times per minute, but this time he pulled out after each one. He would go all the way in, all the way out—800 times per minute. I grunted and screamed ever so often.

"Okay, it's time for step eight," Vlad announced like he done every time he began a new step. I honestly don't remember what that was.

Vlad's hand went between my legs and I felt his fingers brush against my… sensitive area. I'd forgotten about that. Before all this, Vlad had done something that I never got use to down there. It was still down there when he started step three.

My back went stiff as a board and my breath caught in my throat. I felt Vlad pulling something huge out of me. I screamed for every inch that Vlad retrieved that thing. Finally, the sensation ceased.

"Stand up," Vlad ordered. Images instantly flashed in my head at his tone of voice—drill instructor. I jumped off that bed despite my aching thighs and sensitive area.

Vlad began the moving test. Every command got full attention despite what hurt. I didn't want the unit.

Vlad tested me. He wanted to stick that unit in my ass but I kept it up. I bet I'm breaking records I'm so determined.

"Place your legs apart. Put your legs together. Place your legs apart. Legs together. Legs and arms apart," Vlad was getting frustrated so he got cleaver. He almost got me but I figured out what he meant and done it. I heard him cuss. "Legs and arms together!" I followed suit.

"It's called jumping jacks," I told him with a smile.

Vlad glared at me then a light came to his eyes. "You talked when I didn't tell you to."

"Wait a minute," I said. I covered my mouth, gasped for covering it, then returned to the position Vlad had instructed.

"Finally," Vlad declared happily. He went for the area he put the unit last and brought it towards me. My pulse quickened.

Vlad, I know you can hear me. Please, I'm sorry. I'll do anything. Just not that, I'm begging you, I sent out telepathically.

"That's too bad, Little Badger. I've been waiting 30 minutes for this. This is my only chance to try it out," Vlad said. He put his hand on my back and I held my breath as he pushed me in a bending position.

When Vlad installed the unit, even holding my breath did little to ease the sheer pain I felt. Vlad spun the dial and the speed increased to nearly 20,000 times per minute. It wasn't too bad. I'd had thirty.

"Bend down with your knees straight and touch your toes on the right foot," Vlad instructed, not containing his excitement.

"Lift your legs up high in the air, straight in front of you and hold it for 10 seconds," Vlad said again. I did, counting the Mississippi's.

"Do a full split," Vlad said. I slid down for the millionth time this exercise.

"Okay. We're done. You passed," Vlad said. Of course! He just wanted to stick that thing in my ass.

Vlad cut the speed on the unit and removed it. If I remember right, I'm supposed to go fast on this one so I lay down on the bed. I just picked a spot. There's not a spot on the bed where my ass was that's not soaked in blood.

I felt Vlad climb on top of me once again, his hands sliding around my waist. Then I fell him plunge in me, pull out and go again. A thick, choking sensation filled my throat. I grabbed my throat out of habit. It's like he's right there.

It takes less than a second for me to start trying to escape. Vlad's hands slipped from my thighs and he struggles to hold me still. The silk sheets feel firm under my hands and not like the slippery fabric it was. I feel like I can use it to push myself out from under him.

Vlad wraps his hands around my upper thighs to hold me still but I can still feel his weak points. Vlad loses his grip several times.

I see it in slow motion—or rather feel it. Vlad is pulling away, he will exit me, and his hands flex out in the moment. Now's my chance. I pulled my hands out in front of me and as Vlad catches onto my plan, he's too slow. I'm off and about 2 inches away from him.

Vlad reaches for me but it's as if he's moving in molasses. I felt his hands on my ankles so I turned my legs into a ghost tail. I'm shorter when I do that so his hands have a hold on mist.

"Shit," Vlad says but it sounds garbled and distorted.

I float towards the ceiling for my escape.

I feel the intangibility I called for washed over me but my fists are outstretched just in case. I go through the wall and see daylight for the first time… then it's clouded by shadow of purple.

"I'm not losing you like I lost her," Vlad declared, grabbing me in his arms once he formed. I struggled but darkness began to consume me. "I need to find a way to short-circuit his powers. Damn!" All went black again.

XXX

I woke up on the bed just like before but I was on my belly this time. The burning sensation was back again and so was the splitting headache. "This time you'll stay in those restraints until we leave for Dads!"

I felt Vlad mount me, grab my thighs and enter. Then exit. He was back to Step nine. I felt every slipup. I could anticipate his next movements but I couldn't break those restraints. The pain was one thing but my headache made it worse. Not to mention the restraints. I screamed and cried with every plunge.

Vlad came on this step, the burns seeping everywhere. I swore my throat was melting! After a few minutes, Vlad was getting up and grabbing my wrist. The burn disappeared but Vlad had me iron tight.

Vlad folded one arm over the other and once they were just as he liked it I saw what the burn was. A red energy encased my hands and arms just like a giant glove. If I moved only one of my hands one hair too far I got burned.

"Red," I asked alarmed. I only see him use purple.

"Green is the simplest form. It can do damage but it takes a hell of a powerful blast to achieve destructive properties. Blue is next. It's much more substantial than green. A moderate blast could kill like shooting someone with a gun. Purple is third. It's got bite. You can also form it into shapes. Blue and green you can't. Red is the highest I've gotten. Red is like heat. Just being near it can hurt, hence the burning sensation. White is obliteration. One shock of white breaks things down to the cellular level."

"Amazing. So you created a bonding material out of energy. I never imagined," I was truly excited. Ecto-energy is my second favorite power, bested only by flight.

"Okay, enough lessons. Let's get busy," Vlad said, grabbing the unit.

"What's that for," I asked. We hadn't even begun yet.

"Don't you remember moving your mouth without being told to," Vlad said. Suddenly, the fire world seemed attractive.

Vlad bent me over, inserted the unit and turned it to level two. I use my powers to keep me balanced.

"This is going to be difficult with no hands," I reminded him.

"I won't give you any hard exercises. As for balance, that's why you have powers. I can't trust you," Vlad replied. Vlad outstretched his arm and green markings in a form of boxes and numbers appeared. Vlad held up a green beanbag. "Hopscotch?"

"You've got to be kidding me! How do I toss or pick up the bag," I asked.

Vlad tossed the bag to me, "Your powers. I'll give you time."

Like I believe that.

I started that bag for God knows how long. I've always used my hands to use ecto-energy and it was always in the shape of a beam. Vlad got so tired, he materialized a green chair to himself. Still don't know how he can create things with his powers!

"Up! Float up," I demanded for the hundredth time. No dice! "Come! Here beanbag!"

"It's not a dog, Daniel," Vlad said, bored. "Try using energy. Lasso it to you."

"How," I asked aggravated. I don't know what he's talking about. I looked around the room out of habit for a clock. I bet it's almost morning!

Vlad glanced at his watch and his eyes bugged out. "Shoot! It's five o'clock." I knew it. "We've only got 13 hours until we go." Shoot.

"Come on, Vlad. Let's just kick back. Get some sleep. I'm tired."

"Daniel, you can nap on the plane. I need to finish the steps and start the rules. I had no idea I gave you two hours to pick up a damn beanbag."

"Whatever," I said. Vlad grabbed the beanbag and I saw it melt into his hands. The green markings and chair done the same thing. "It's ecto-energy! You made shapes out of ecto-energy!"

"Yes," Vlad said, thinking I was dumb. "You are. I don't think. I said it can't take shape I didn't mean at all. When you use as a weapon, it always comes out as a beam but if you mold it, it can become anything."

"You can mold ecto-energy," I asked flabbergasted.

"Yes, you can. Well, at least you should. You're so dumb, I'm not sure you can."

I glared at him, "I'm not the smartest, that's true, but you don't have to rub it in."

"Okay, we'll get back to this when we review the steps again. Now, step number 11," Vlad replied.

"Toys or hand," I asked, getting them mixed up.

"Oral sex," Vlad said the proper term. Hand it is!

I lay down on the bed, on my back. The whole time I was on my back so that was a safe bet. Vlad climbed on the bed with me, the blood finally getting to him. He then began to play.

As long as he touch the nipples, ass, or penis we were fine. But whenever he touch my… sensitive place or kissed me I came unglued. Okay, it was only that place that made me go nuts. I just wouldn't kiss him back or sit still when he kissed me.

After he gave up on me just sitting there, he went to the last step. He used all the toys on me (some I didn't even know he used before). He got me to sit still with the sensitive area but when it moved, I fought so he went back to the beginning.

Vlad had sex with me as Masters again but this time I knew what it would cost me. I screamed when he transformed half way in-half way out but it was nothing compared to when he was all the way in me. I saw the spots again. Vlad's voice faded away. I felt like I was floating above the bed. And when he came, it felt just like hot water. I expected him to pull out of me but I didn't feel the prick. Vlad just started pumping 800 times per minute.

I couldn't really tell you how many times he was pumping. I just know the next step was 800 times per minute. All I knew was the bed was moving faster. That's when I noticed he went slower on the third step. But I didn't care. I was numb. Hell, I was a little happy.

The first thing I noticed was my eyesight clearing up. Then I could hear better, the pain become more focused and so did my thoughts. Then I noticed he was on step seven. I missed steps four through six. Then I felt him pull out and stay out. Step eight.

Vlad didn't put the unit in my ass but he started giving me the test. Vlad put the markings back on the ground and formed the beanbag. Not again!

"Okay, here's how we're not going to waste any more time. I will toss and pick up the bag. All you have to do is jump over to the square and back as ordered. Deal?"

Sounded good to me. But before I could voice it aloud, he threw the bag. It was while jumping on the squares I noticed what was so special about this hopscotch board. It was the ghost edition!

A damn wall separated the ninth square and tenth square of the board! Okay, go intangible—no problem! However, squares 26 through forty were on thin air. If it were under any other circumstances, this'd be a cool game.

When I made it back to square 32, the bag dematerialized. I stared at it, perplexed, until I heard Vlad yell annoyed, "Keep playing!"

On the second trip, the squares changed. It was more challenging as well. It had instructions as to where to put my foot (shaped like a foot no less). When I came to Square 41, it was a thin dot. "Tail," I heard Vlad call, annoyed. I began to enjoy the game after that.

The more we played, the more fun we had. Somewhere around game 15 I forgot what was going on. I was enjoying myself and so was Vlad. It was nice.

But all good things must come to an end. After Game 30, we quit. Vlad said we spent two hours on the first eight steps. Now we only had 11 more hours to go. Time was speeding up.

We only played five games of hopscotch, or floatscotch as I like to call it, after that. Vlad would do the steps and I'd miss Steps four to six every time. We did the regimen three more times, two hours for each one. Another five more hours left.

The 'sock' around my arms dissipated and Vlad came into the bed. Vlad was Masters again. He wrapped his arms around me, "I'm going to spend the next five hours with you as Masters. I have to get into character anyway. I will use this time to teach you the rules. Am I clear? This will be the last time we'll be together until tonight. You'll get the rest you need."

My place wasn't to talk. Vlad leaned into me, his full weight on top of me. It was awkward. I'm used to being on the bottom but not like this. Vlad's lips made contact with mine. It's the first time Masters has kissed me since that night.

I keep my lips perfectly still. I never kiss him back but Vlad is pulling me closer to him. His hands rub my body all over the place. Then I feel his tongue slip in my mouth.

I pull away.

"Rule number five: do not deny me. If I French kiss you, you do not have to return it but you cannot stop me from trying. Got it? Now, let's try again."

Vlad leans in for a kiss and his tongue invades right in. I hold it, not accepting nor returning his gift. But soon I have enough and break the kiss. Vlad grabs me by my neck and forces my head towards him harshly. Then, unexpectedly, he smacks me. However, in his hand is a hard object like a board. It burns—it's ectoplasm.

"That's what you get when you disobey," Vlad said coldly. I reach up to touch my face. It heals under my fingertips.

Vlad pulls me in again and begins to kiss me. This time his hands are the busiest. Vlad comes to rest right above me, his pelvis pounding beneath me. He runs his hands behind my back and begins to lift me higher. Once my legs are up to his chest, he comes in closer. He's just above my anus.

Vlad lowers me in the bed where we're practically at the foot then he enters my anus. I scream out. He's not that big but this is really awkward.

I can actually look him in the eye as he's fucking me. I think I now understood why more female rape victims report it than men. I'll never forget the look on his face. His pure pleasure while I'm screaming and crying in pain. How can I forgive him?

I can't believe a little over six hours ago I was having fun with him. How can anyone sit there and enjoy himself knowing he's causing me so much pain? How could I ever look at him and not remember this look? He's enjoying himself and I'm screaming for him to stop.

Vlad had sex with me like that for a long time. While I was begging him to turn me over, he went on about some rules like I wasn't saying a thing. I'm not allowed to deny him, defy him, disrespect him, I'm not allowed to tell anyone about this, I cannot date other people and I must come when called, obey him and respect and listen to him. If I disrespect him in front of someone, it's worse.

After he flipped me over he had sex with me the proper way. After a long time of that, he tried entering my sensitive area.

"No, no, no! Please, no," I begged as he inserted the tip of his human penis.

"You have to get used to it," Vlad said.

"Please, not yet," I asked, tears forming. "Please, give me another day."

"Sorry," Vlad said. He didn't mean it. He only inserted less than a forth up into me but I screamed out in agony.

"God, please. No, please. I'll do anything. Please!"

Vlad began to rock slowly to give me my answer. I screamed out in fear and agony as he did. Vlad held me down so I couldn't even wiggle. I think his mind held me too.

I've seen porn before (don't tell my parents—or Sam) and I know the rocking he's doing. It's the virgin sex. 'It's my first time' kind of sex but I feel like he's doing step nine. The pain is intense and if he slips any further in (I mean half a centimeter) and I'm screaming like I'm dying.

When Vlad finished having his fun with me, he's yet to cum. He sits up on the edge of the bed. "Daniel, it's time to complete your training. Blowjob time."

When Vlad pulled out of me, I went into the fetal position. I'm wanting to tell him that I can't even move but I can't speak.

"Daniel," Vlad ordered.

I can't, I sent out to him.

"Daniel, I'm talking to you. Come here," Vlad said.

I'm sorry. I can't move, I told him again.

"Daniel," Vlad says as if he can't even hear me. He turned toward me, "Daniel, answer me," he said hatefully. Then his expression softens, "Daniel?"

Vlad, you can't hear me, can you, I ask. I know he won't answer me but I don't know why. Can't he read thoughts? He even said he could read them before I think them. I'm thinking!

"Daniel," Vlad said, a little panicked. "Come on! Work with me here. Come back to me. Can you hear me?"

Yes, I can but you can't hear that.

"Daniel, even if I can't hear you keep talking to me. You are comatose. You'll be fine. I'll get you back."

I thought comatose victims were unresponsive and unconscious.

Vlad continued from his last sentence I didn't hear: "You slipped into your mind. I didn't know it'd hurt you that bad." Damn you didn't. I told you! "Just keep talking to me in your head." Can you tell me how you know I'm talking to you? "I can't hear you but you can hear me. So keep it up. The more control you get, the sooner you'll come back. Just keep talking," Vlad kept talking to me, repeating the same stuff over. He'd tell me he knows I'm aware but won't share how he discovered that knowledge.

I was really surprised when Vlad started to stroke my face gently and started telling me he was sorry. I almost believed him until I figured out his purpose. He must still be waiting for that blowjob!

I'd talk ever so often to him just to test the waters. Finally, Vlad heard me. I'm on my way.

Vlad was right. The more I talked with him the better it got. Soon, I was fully aware and responsive.

"Daniel, I am so sorry. I put too much on you. I shouldn't have," Vlad ranted. I lifted an eyebrow.

"Dude, chill. What's with you? You're raping me?! Rapists don't apologize," I said. Vlad's eyes went into that expression that said 'You're right! What am I doing?'

"Of course. You are my bitch. I should punish you for leaving your mind without permission," Vlad said. He still had the expression and I couldn't tell if he was serious or not.

I was already in his arms from him trying to coax me back. Vlad lowered his hand to my crotch after a moment to compose himself. However, he didn't go for the penis or anus.

"Wait a minute," I said when his hand balled up into a fist and started applying pressure to my sensitive area.

"You'll need to get used to someone touching your vagina. I won't have sex with it right away. We'll dedicate the rest of this hour to your vagina again. Then the next two hours will go to the anus and the penis. Then we'll go to the airport."

"Two more hours, that's it," I asked excitedly.

"That's it! Then we go see my Dad for two days. We'll be staying in a motel so we can have some time," Vlad replied. I was ecstatic. Just two more hours and this hellish nightmare was over.

Vlad used his fist to start to fist fuck me. At first I didn't feel it then I gasped in pain. Finally, he used his index knuckle to penetrate me and I screamed.

Vlad didn't stop there. He dug deeper until his middle knuckle was in, then his ring and finally his pinky. Once all those were in, he slipped his full fist in my sensitive area.

I threw my hands down to the bed to give me a push to get away but red energy encased my wrists and hands as soon as they made contact. Vlad had held me with his hands and mind before that and when I was comatose, he released me. Now, I'm his prisoner again.

Vlad began to push his fist in my area and pull it back to the beginning. He never pulled it out but I screamed, cried and begged him to stop. When I would get desperate, he'd stop to allow me time to rest. But he never removed his fist.

He'd get me to talk aloud to him. He'd ask me questions about myself and my family. He learned a lot about me that I didn't mean to tell him just because he could read my mind before I told him none of your business.

So that gave me an idea. I'd been seeing Vlad do this all this time. It's time to test out my mind reading.

It was quite easy to figure out I discovered. All I did was focus on Vlad and naturally, I wondered to myself 'what is he thinking?' I couldn't believe it when my voice came through loud and clear.

_This is quite amazing. No matter how many times I do something, she always wiggles when I do it for the first time. I start this way_, Vlad was pumping up and down. At first, I tried to struggle but I eventually grew accustomed. _Then I switch to this way_, and Vlad started flexing his fingers. _She's wiggling_, my voice declared happily.

_Now watch when I go back to when we first began this experiment_, Vlad started twisting his fist the same way he was before I was listening to his thoughts and I wiggled again. _The best thing is this_, Vlad pushed and pulled, twitched and twisted. Over and over—a new one every time. I couldn't get used to it. I started to breathe deeper. Vlad added some speed behind it. I came.

This made him giddish. _Daniel is the best bitch I've ever had. She's got both: a penis and a vagina! This is wonderful!_

I grew nauseas. Vlad was too happy. He liked it too much. I didn't have words but I could feel his thoughts—I guess that'd be appropriate. He had a desire. He wanted me—permanently. I closed the connection.

Vlad liked me. Not in a good way but in a way that's been screaming at me since the beginning. When I tried to escape him that night and I felt his cock pounding above mine, I sensed it. My pain is his pleasure and I may never go back to Illinois.

Once Vlad was finished with the fist, he laid me over on my back. He started slow but steady. First he just let the tip rest against it. It was uncomfortable but bearable. Then he let the tip push into the flesh. I grunted and tears filled my eyes.

Once Vlad was in the flesh, he let it sit there. I was breathing hard and crying but more out of fear than pain. When he pushed in, that was pain.

Vlad wasn't even completely in. He was only at the area of the cavity. He let it sit there but I continued to cry. The pain was there but the fear fueled my tears. I knew what was to come.

Next, Vlad pushed in the cavity. I screamed out in pain and cried uncontrollably. My fingers clenched the silk bed sheets but nothing ceased the pain. Before, when Vlad was playing with me, I'd get used to it but not here.

"That's because my penis is vibrating. If that vibrator had been turned on earlier you'd never got used to it," Vlad said.

"You have a vibrator in me," I asked. I was crying so it barely came out coherent.

"Earlier during the steps. That's what I put in your vagina," Vlad answered. "Why haven't you listened to me anymore? It's great practice!"

"So I can listen to your joy over my pain. No, thank you," I answered. I meant to say it as a retort but it came out broken.

"Well, I want you to listen to as many people as you can when we get on the plane. You'll have excellent opportunities," Vlad said.

"Yes, sir," I said.

Vlad kept pushing it in me until he went fully in. It didn't hurt as bad as I thought. I just moaned a few times—painfully. Don't get any ideas, Plasmius.

But after he was fully in me, he pulled out half way and made love to me. I screamed and cried but I didn't go comatose.

After that, he played with my penis. He did both forms—Fenton and Phantom. The most time we spent was exploring how to get it up.

That sounds dirty. I know it does but it's not what it sounds like. What I meant is it appears I don't have a penis in ghost form. You can see where it's supposed to be but I can't take my jumpsuit off and I haven't figured out how to pee as a ghost.

Vlad told me ghosts are like horses and our penises are up in a pouch that when summoned, comes out. I swear when I saw my penis do that I thought of the first Dragon Ball—powerpole extend!

So at six o'clock Vlad stood up and told me to do the same. Vlad walked out of the room and said we're leaving in two minutes.

I rummaged through my belongings and grabbed my phone. I had 2 minutes to do this or I may never get away from Vlad. I dialed Samuel's number and pushed send. I heard two beeps signaling call failed.

I tried to dial anyone. I even put the one in the front. Nothing worked. Maybe my phone's broken? I pushed the camera feature and took a picture of the bed. The picture took. I tried to text it to Tucker and MESSAGE FAILED. I couldn't get through to anyone.

Resigning, I went to my closet and grabbed some clothes and my suitcase. I got dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a red and white sweater—my school colors reversed. After I packed my suitcase, I put it outside the door.

Vlad came in the door holding a bunch of suits, shoes and ties. He looked at me and an angry look crossed his face, "What's that?"

"What's what," I asked fearful, putting my phone behind my back.

"Who told you to get dressed in those hideous clothes," Vlad asked. Vlad aimed his hand at me and a red energy beam flew at me… or so I thought. My clothes burned off.

"A white tee-shirt, a red sweater and two pairs of blue jeans died because of you! What did they do to deserve that," I kept my voice level but I was upset. That is my parent's money he's throwing away.

"Oh, hush Daniel. I didn't tell you to get dressed. Did you even notice you were bloody," Vlad said. Did I notice?! Who the hell does he think he is?

"Yes, I did notice," I replied, still keeping a hold on my temper.

"You need a shower and some decent clothes. Go shower. The bathroom is…" Vlad began.

"I spent four days in this castle last time. I know where the bathrooms are," I said, my voice coming out a little sharp. "I apologize. Please forgive me." I said in a more even tone.

"Very well. Go," Vlad said. I silently wondered what happened to 'we leave in two minutes'.

I walk into the bathroom and step into the shower. I turn on the spigot and water comes down over my head. It feels good until it hits my legs. I hiss!

Just a few seconds have passed and the water collecting at my feet is red as beets, littered with chunks of my flesh, tissue and some kind of white stuff. I gently rub my legs to remove the meat stuck to it. A fresh washrag sits on the towel rack. I grab it and the bottle of soap.

As soon as I place the soapy rag to my legs, I scream out, curbing it with a harsh grunt. I apply a little pressure to remove the skin attached. Finally, red no longer flows to the bottom. I cut off the water flow and wait until the red water goes down the drain.

At the drainage, nothing but skin sits at the bottom. I saw Vlad do it so I try to blast it away. The blast destroys the dead flesh… and the shower tile. Oh well, eye for an eye they say—or a shower for clothing.

I climb out of the destroyed shower and towel dry off. Then I go to the room.

The first thing I notice is the mattress is gone and so are the box springs. "Where's the bed?"

"Blood never comes out of a mattress so I vaporize them. I'll replace it like I've done before," Vlad said, nonchalant.

"Okay," I replied, not knowing what else to say. "So, can I have clothes or am I going nude?"

"As appealing as that sounds, no. Nude teenagers are frowned upon in society. But you will not be wearing those horrible clothes you brought! Here," Vlad said. He was dead serious at the beginning. Vlad handed me this swanky looking gray sweater.

"What's this for? It's a bit small," I said.

"It's your exact size," Vlad answered.

I took my attention from the suit to Vlad. "Mine," I asked, surprised.

"Yes, yours. Put it on. Hurry," Vlad said.

"Does it have to be suits," I asked, complaining.

"Do not defy me," Vlad reminded me. I thought it'd be deny.

"Okay," I resigned. I put on these tight underwear and it reminded me of a Larry the Cable Guy joke. Then I dressed in the boxers, undershirt, the long sleeved undershirt, the pants and the sweater. When I was done, I looked like a monkey.

"Very nice," Vlad said, circling me. I felt like a dying elk with the vultures going in early. The suit was too small for my liking. It fit!

"It's supposed to fit, child," Vlad retorted.

"No, it's supposed to be loose so I don't expose my muscles. I'm tone! They're visible!"

"You're also skinny," Vlad said.

"What do you care," I asked.

"What do the rules say about respect," Vlad added. Now he takes note.

"Do not disrespect you and to always respect you. Apparently, there's no middle," I replied.

Vlad backhanded me, his fist the only culprit. "Daniel, I will not have you be disrespectful to me and I will not have a starving bitch! We will do something about this!"

"Yes, sir," I said in a monotone voice. Vlad smacked me again, this time his hand encased in blue energy. "Sorry, sir." I replied more honest. The energy hurts.

"That's better," Vlad replied. "Okay, bring out your ecto energy like you're preparing to fire but just hold it there."

My ecto-energy formed around my hands, glowing and swirling. "Now what, sir?" I added the sir just to be safe.

"Think of a suitcase," Vlad ordered. I looked to the hallway where my case was but I didn't see it. "It's gone. Think of it, though."

Oh, great, I thought. More than two outfits; now it is four days' worth of clothes and two jammies. I begin to imagine a suitcase. The square shape, the handle on top, the two clips. Suddenly, my energy forms into a green physical object of my fantasies.

"Wow," I cried out impressed. Vlad on the other hand was not.

"Did I not say to imagine a suitcase, not a Hollywood prop? How are you supposed to put clothes in this?"

I looked at my creation again. It was solid—no opening.

"Okay, dissolve it," Vlad told me.

"Can't I keep it? It's my first materialization," I asked, hopeful.

"We want to forget this thing. Your first should have been flawless. Now, dissolve it," Vlad ordered.

"How," I asked, dejected.

"No longer see it," Vlad said. I looked at it and imagined my energy. It came back. "Now, don't forget the cavity."

I did it right this time and Vlad told me to pack my things. Of course, they weren't my things. I'd never own a monkey suit.

After we were done, Vlad put his hand on my shoulder. I didn't know what he wanted until I became very nauseous. We had transported.

Thank God, we transported into an empty alley because I threw up. Vlad looked impatient while I composed myself.

"Ready," he asked me.

"Yes, sir. Sorry for the distraction," I said, my stomach doing somersaults.

"Good. Now let's go before we miss our six-forty-five flight," Vlad said. We hurried to the terminal.

XXX

He failed to mention he owned the plane. We boarded this huge airplane that had tables, TVs, beds, a book shelf, chairs, and couches and stewardesses left and right. I do believe he had three times as many stewardesses as a normal airliner and the only thing I can think is how many people can he really transport. Why so many stewardesses? I didn't believe there was a man on the plane until the Captain and his co-pilot boarded. I should have known the women of his company would have the stereotyped female jobs while the men would have the notorious male ones. Sam would have a field day! The captain informed Vlad all was ready for take-off.

"Thank you. Captain; Lieutenant," Vlad remarked, nodding as he addressed the two pilots. The two gentlemen ducked into the cabin. Vlad looked at the women. "This is Daniel, ladies. Please allow him access to anything he may need."

"Yes, sir. Of course," one woman remarked. "Daniel, my name is Carol. I am the Number One Stewartest today. If you have any problems, please feel free to approach me."

I nodded, trying to appear grateful. Honestly, I was more than a little tired. "Thank you, miss."

"Carol."

"Carol," I corrected. "But I think I'll take a nap."

Carol smiled warmly, "Of course, Daniel. Allow me to prepare the bed for you."

A small group of the stewardess's were closing in on me. "He is just too adorable. Where did you find him, Big Daddy?" I chuckled to myself, I wonder where that one came from.

"He's a family friend's son. He's spending the week with us," Vlad answered.

"Well, he's definitely the cutest little visitor you've ever brought along. You should get some more children to accompany you," another girl remarked. I shivered inwardly. I couldn't imagine more children for Vlad to do this to.

Carol had pulled down the sheets, pulled a curtain around the bed and dimmed the light over the small room. "Shall you require anything further, Daniel?

"No, thank you. It looks perfect," I said. I walked into the area.

"Will you require a wakeup call, Daniel?"

"No. I won't be sleeping long. I'm just going to take a little nap," I answered.

"Wonderful. Sleep soundly, Daniel," Carol remarked. She pulled the curtain to and left me by myself. I removed the pants, sweater and long sleeved shirt. I finally climbed into the bed and silently drifted off.

XXX

I opened my eyes, looking around the room as I became more aware of my surroundings. I noticed a small alarm clock on a bedside table that read 8:30 in the morning. I felt so much better. But I continued to lay in the bed, not wanting to see Vlad.

I noticed outside the curtain, a rainbow's variety of colors spun around in a dance club fashion. Sultry music flowed in the background.

I decided against my inner desire to climb out of bed and go check it out. When I finished dressing, I entered the main cabin to see the stewardesses were pole dancing. I couldn't believe my eyes. How could he humiliate these girls this way?

_Oh, please_, Vlad remarked. _They're not real stewardesses. Only Carol is. These girls are strippers and I hired them to staff my airline._

Do you think of anything other than sex, I asked him.

_Yes, but sometimes I'm sidetracked_, Vlad remarked.

"Care for anything," a young girl asked me. She looked barely nineteen. She was dressed rather suggestively.

I backed away. When she took a step towards me, I held my hands up, "No, thank you."

"Daniel, right?"

"Uh, Danny actually. Daniel's my given name," I remarked. I lowered my hands, hoping I wasn't making a mistake.

"Bethany, or Beth for short," she held out her hand to shake. I gingerly took it. "So, how'd you meet Big Daddy?"

I laughed at Vlad's nickname, "Him and my parent's went to college together. We met last month at the reunion."

"So you've known him for a month and he's taking you places. Lucky boy," Beth remarked.

"Uh, I don't feel so lucky. Him and I don't see eye to eye," I remarked, smiling awkwardly.

"Really. Funny, I've never known anyone to squabble with Big Daddy. He usually gets along with everybody," Beth said surprised.

"So, how'd you meet," I laughed, "Big Daddy," I said mockingly.

"He rescued me," Beth remarked. "He was in my club where I was working under the table when a raid broke out. I was underage. Momma's been sick for a while and expenses stack up. My boyfriend did say the only thing I was good at was shaking my ass." She sounded so human. I didn't believe anyone who could work for Vlad and do this could be one.

"I don't believe that for a second, Beth. You're boyfriend's an idiot," I said. She smiled at me.

"He's an ex now," she remarked, putting a strand of hair behind her ear. I put forth my best smile. It's time to get to work, Radar!

"That works for me," I said, locking eyes with her. "Uh, how old are you?"

"Sixteen," Beth remarked. I was flabbergasted. She was around Jazz's age!

"Really. Man, when did you start doing this," I asked.

"Five months ago. I worked at the club for two weeks before the raid. I would have been taken into custody if Big Daddy hadn't saved me. He saved my entire family. I know the state would have taken Liz," Beth said with sad eyes.

"I guess Vlad can do some things okay," I said, making her smile.

"Don't call him that on the plane. He's Big Daddy to us girls and Mr. Masters to anyone else." She was informative.

"Well, I'm a first, huh," I remarked with a smile. She returned it.

"You are different. You don't care to speak your mind," Beth remarked.

"Pretty girls make me fearless," I stated. She laughed a somewhat embarrassed, somewhat entertained laugh at my compliment. Damn, why can't I be like this at school?

"You are definitely something, Danny. Where do you live," Beth asked.

"Illinois," I answered. "An hour from the state line at Saint Louis."

"Wow, south Illinois to central Wisconsin. Quite a trip," Beth remarked.

"What about you," I asked. "Where do you call home?"

"Michigan. Just a jump over the Lake," Beth remarked.

I smiled at her and she blushed back with one of her own. "So, Vlad rescued you from the raid. How'd he do that?"

"That's a secret," she said, looking up at me through her eyelashes.

"A secret," I remarked, taking her bait. "Why is it a secret?"

"Big Daddy don't want everyone to know. He says if others found out—bad others—he couldn't save girls like myself. Not even all the girls here know."

"You can tell me," I tried my best face. It drove the girls at the camp crazy.

Beth started to melt under my heat, "You won't tell anyone else?"

"Never," I said. I took her hands in mine, her coming apart like wet paper.

"Big Daddy's a witch… well, warlock. He can cast spells and hypnotize people. He led me back to the back and made the wall become impalpable. We walked right through," she said, whispering. I couldn't believe it. He told someone else.

"Get out of here," I said like I would have before the accident.

"No, I'm serious. You can't tell him I told you. He'll deny it and fire me! Please, don't tell anyone," Beth said. She grew fearful. I may have gone too far here.

"Beth," I said, gently. "It's okay. I already knew. He won't hurt you for telling me."

"What do you mean you already knew," Beth asked, confused.

I took her hand in mine and gently pulled her to the bed and pulled the curtain. "Big Daddy," I said disbelieving, "Isn't the only one with special abilities." She looked at me strangely until I lifted her into the air with my powers.

"You can fly," she declared, loudly. I mentally hit myself.

"Shh," I hushed. "Remember what you said about Vlad? Same goes for me. You tell anyone else and I can't protect my town. They'll take me away."

"Where do people get these things from," Beth asked me, quieter.

I laughed, "My parents. Vlad had a lab accident 20 years ago and two weeks from now will be the fourth month anniversary of mine. The specifics are complicated but Vlad and I are alike."

"That's amazing. Big Daddy rescues girls and you stop bad guys. You're both superheroes," she said, exclaiming. I don't believe I'm a hero but I couldn't help but smile that she thought that.

"You can't tell anyone," I reminded her.

"You probably think lowly of me. I told Big Daddy's secret to you," Beth said, looking down.

"Not at all. I played dirty," I said. "I wanted to know if you knew his secrets so I pushed. I know you wouldn't tell anyone you absolutely didn't trust."

"I do feel like I can trust you," Beth said, looking me in the eyes.

"You can and I know I can trust you," I replied. We were inches from each other. I came in for a kiss. She closed her eyes and done the same.

"Beth," I heard an older woman call out angrily. "You have a job to perform. Stop flirting and get to work." That was a side of Carol I didn't see.

"Yes, ma'am. Right away," Beth said, fearfully. She looked at me apologetically and went out of the curtained area.

"I'm so sorry, Daniel, that she was aggravating you. New recruit!"

"No, she wasn't. It was my fault. I'm a bit of a flirt," I said, wanting to put the blame on myself.

"Daniel, you don't need to make excuses for Bethany. She knew what she was doing. Is there anything you need, sir," Carol asked me.

"No, Carol. I'm good," I said. I have a feeling Vlad's behind this. I walked out, Carol following. All the girls had stopped doing what they were doing before, watching Beth nervously clean up a table. Vlad looked on disapprovingly.

"Ladies, could you please go to the cabin. I need to speak to my guest about proper conduct," Vlad ordered.

"Yes, Big Daddy," the girls said. Beth walked away in near tears. I hated what he was doing to her.

Once the cabin door was shut, Vlad walked over to me. I glared at him, "What you did was senseless. She's a young girl!"

"This is your fault. You should have not flirted with her. You were about to kiss her!"

"She's a nice girl. She's pretty! She's my age," I said, my voice rising after every point.

"She's off limits," Vlad ordered, his voice growing dangerous.

"Why? Because she's yours," I demanded.

Vlad swung his hand back and busted his hand over my face, "No! She's not the reason she's off limits! You are!"

"That's what this is about. Me nearly kissing a girl," I glowered, holding my face.

"You've been on this plane two hours and you're already breaking rules. I said you are not allowed to date other people," Vlad said.

"And I told you I wouldn't listen to you!"

"So that's how it's going to be? As long as you don't have my penis in your ass you'll disobey me. If I can't give you a reason to believe me when I say this, I don't know what else to do. I am your master. You are to obey me. And if you don't stop fucking around, I won't hurt you, I'll hurt someone else. Whether it's a friend in Amity Park, Texas, or on a plane you just met!"

My anger turned to fear. I could protect my friends in Amity and Beth but Brit was another situation! How did he know about her?

"But for now," Vlad said, not caring about my anxiety. I felt my body go numb. I couldn't move as Vlad backhanded me, then turned around and hit me again. Vlad gave me my first beating, leaving me bruised and bloodied. "You can come back in, girls," Vlad said with barely any strength behind his voice. They heard everything.

A few girls, Beth included, had shocked faces. Other seasoned girls, like Carol, just looked at me understandably. Beth's face was tear-streaked and she looked at me with such guilt. Vlad took his seat, picking up the paper on the table.

"I told you girls not to mess with anyone Mr. Masters brings with him as company. Especially the boys," Carol said as an explanation. "Learn from Beth's mistake. She did that to Daniel."

"No, she didn't," I said. Carol looked to me from the girls. "Vlad hit me. Beth talked to me."

"You've still got fight," Carol asked me, shocked. Her voice was low. "After that!"

"This is nothing. I get this back home. It's his other methods that get me," I answered. I looked to Beth, "You done nothing wrong, Sweetheart. It's not your fault."

Beth took a wet rag and a cup of ice water one of the girls had and began to wipe the blood from my split lip. "No, this was my fault. I was told not to fool with Big—Daddy's guests." Her voice broke as she realized the monster Vlad really was.

"Don't bother," I said, taking her hand with the rag gently. "It'll heal, Beth."

"Not for a long time," she remarked, removing her hand from my soft touch. She dipped the rag in the ice water and applied it to my swollen cheek.

"No, in about a minute. The first hits have already healed." Her eyes widened but they focused on a particular spot of my face. "Something healed, didn't it?"

"You're like Big Daddy," one girl cried out. "You just healed!"

"Not entirely. There's some pain," I answered.

"Where do you two get these strange abilities," the girl asked surprised.

"Well, it's a complicated subject. We both had a similar lab accident. My parents are scientists and he worked with them in college." I glanced in Vlad's direction but he seemed uninterested in anything we were discussing.

"Amazing! The swelling is practically gone. You heal so fast," Beth replied, stunned.

"I'm trying to not be afraid of Vlad. It's hard because he's had his powers for twenty years and I've had mine 3 and a half months," I explained.

"You should be proud, Daniel. Everyone I've ever seen board this plane are already broken. You are not his typical one," Carol replied.

"I'm not your typical boy, either," I replied. Everyone's eyes widened and my pain ceased. "See, all better," I said, gently stroking Beth's cheek.

"How can you still be so friendly towards me," Beth asked, her tears finally dried.

"Because you're very beautiful and a few minutes ago you had an attraction towards me," I said. She laughed aloud and smiled.

"Do it," one girl called from the back of the crowd. Soon, all were cheering except Carol. She looked fearful. I wondered what she was thinking.

_Don't they realize the danger they've put themselves in? These girls rooting for Daniel to kiss Bethany and Vlad is nearby! He can hear things that I'm not sure how he does. And Daniel! He's already taken a beating for nearly kissing her. Does he want another one_?

"Carol's right," I said, pulling away. They all looked at me strangely. "I can protect you while I'm here… but I won't always be here. Vlad can hold a grudge. He still wants to kill my dad for the accident 20 years ago. I can't risk your safety."

"Or yours," Bethany said.

"If it was my safety that was only concerned, I'd already kissed you but I have to remember you don't live near me. I may never see you again after this. I can't chance him coming after you. You have your mom and Liz to worry about, too. Vlad could hurt them, too. I'm sorry, Beth," I said.

"If only we had met under some other circumstances," Beth said.

"No," I said, sadly, "If only we had met under some other kind of pretenses."

I looked in Vlad's direction again and while he appeared to be reading the paper, I could tell we had his full attention. I walked away from the girls, my heart sagging. I wanted to get to know Beth. I wanted to talk to her and find out her history. I knew her for less than an hour and I'm already thinking 'Paulina, who?'

XXX

I kept my distance from the girls, and especially Beth. However, I couldn't escape Carol.

"You said, 'Carol's right.' That's what you said. How'd you know that," Carol asked me, sitting down on the couch.

"Carol, I don't want you to get hurt. Please, go," I said, growing anxious. I tried to stand up but she placed her hand on my shoulder.

"Daniel, I've been with Mr. Masters for 19 years this spring. I've seen my fair share of his bitches," Carol told me. I looked to her.

"Nineteen years," I asked, surprised.

"I'm one of Mr. Master's oldest employees. I was 26 years old when he found me. I was trying to pay my way through college and I was moonlighting as an escort. Mr. Masters offered me a job. If I stayed with him, he'd pay for my college. I was young and dumb. I never realized the consequences."

I listened to her story intently. Nineteen years ago would have been 1985. Carol must be older than Vlad.

"I lived with Mr. Masters, he paid my college and I was provided for. If I knew he would have been like that, I would have continued to work two jobs. He was abusive. At times, I'd go numb he was so big. It felt like he put me in ice water. I'd lose feeling below the waist. He ruptured me so many times, I lost count but he always healed me. Then I got a boyfriend.

"That's when I learned of his abilities. He scared me he was so angry. I never told him about my boyfriend, he just flipped. They still can't find him. I think Vlad killed him. But Vlad didn't hide anything from me then. Everyone calls him a warlock. I call him a demon. Whenever he changes, it scares me, even now.

"Ten years ago, Vlad liked them older but when he turned 39 years old, he started taking them younger. I was 39 years old and one of his housekeepers vanished when she turned forty. I needn't to speculate what happened.

"So I went back to school. Told Vlad I wanted to get a flight authorization paper. I got certified and became a flight attendant. Six years ago, I became his number one stewardess. Mr. Masters killed every employee that turned forty except me. I had a use still. So until I can no longer work, I'll be useful. I have a few more years of life left."

I grew sick. Every one of these girls were going to die when they turned forty. How can someone seriously get away with that? How could someone value human life so little?

"Daniel, please, how did you know my thoughts? Please tell me," Carol asked. She told me a deep, dark secret—now she expects me to return the favor.

"Vlad can read minds—and he taught me," I answered. Her eyes lit with understanding and fear.

"Why do you stay even though you know what will happen," I asked.

"When you know your boss is a monster, a real monster, and your colleagues start vanishing on their birthdays you understand what's coming next. A dear friend of mine found out too late to make herself useful and fled. They found her. It took DNA to prove it was her, but they found her." Carol looked at me gravely, "Honestly, I don't know what's better. Having nothing to bury or buried in a tin cup. But if I run, I won't see sixty."

Carol stood up and walked away from the couch. I looked after her in awe and pity. Knowing your fate? I don't know if I could choose either.

The plane landed around noon at Daytona's National Airport. As we departed, I looked at Beth. I thought hard.

What's your address, I asked her. Without hesitation she thought of an address. I hoped to see her again. Maybe someday soon. The last image I saw of her was a small wave, mouthing 'I'll never forget you' and tears clouding her eyes. I could say the same.

AN: Chapter companions are available at **fan fiction dot net slash my forums slash Team 04 Phantom slash 3876657**. Please review and PM me with any questions.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom.**

**AN: This chapter contains rape material and male sex. If this disturbs you, please do not read. Majority of the graphic and explicit scenes have ended.**

**Chapter Four: Airspace**

Within the hour, we were pulling up to a series of apartments. Vlad climbed out of the cab, grabbing our bags and allowed me to do the same. Vlad stopped in front of me, straightened my jacket, smoothed out my pants and straightened my tie. Vlad's eyes traced my body and he grimaced.

"What," I asked him. Something displeased him.

"That hair," he said. "It's not right. How did you get it to stick up without any gel products?"

"I never use gel products," I said, upset. "I was born like this!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Vlad chided me.

"I'm not," I defended. "You could ask my mom! I was born like this."

"Well, we've got to do something about it. Form energy," Vlad said.

I narrowed my eyes, "Why?"

"I don't have any hair bows. The only one I have keeps mine secure," Vlad said spitefully.

Ecto-energy encased my hands, "Now what?"

"Imagine a hair bow. Then put your hair up."

"What," I yelled. "I will not!"

"I could form a razor if you like," Vlad said.

"I could form attack dogs," I said defiantly, "You're not touching my hair!"

"You know, it'd be a shame if Bethany came up missing. I wonder what her mom and sister would do without her," Vlad threatened.

I narrowed my eyes, forming a small band, "You son of a bitch."

I put the ecto-band in my hair, holding it back. It felt weird and I bet it looked weird. The kids at camp called it an anti-mullet.

"Now that's better," Vlad said in satisfaction.

"I feel weird," I stated. Vlad picked up our bags and walked to a door. He knocked and waited patiently.

This elderly, tall man answered the door. "Vlad," the man cried happily. "Welcome back, son."

"Hello, Dad," Vlad greeted. "You look great."

"Oh, don't lie. I know I look like hell," the man laughed. His gaze fell on me, "So, who's your friend?"

"This is Daniel," Vlad introduced me, "he'll be staying with me this year."

The older man looked pleased, "Oh, well then I'll turn down another bed."

"That won't be necessary, Dad. Daniel and I will be staying at the hotel."

"Are you sure? I don't mind," the man said.

"No, no. We wouldn't want to impose," Vlad told his father.

"Well, if you're sure. You wouldn't impose but you can do what you will," Vlad's dad said. He walked over to me, "My name is Rafe. It's nice to meet you, son."

I threw my hand out. "Danny," I introduced myself.

"Daniel," Vlad said. I turned to him to see what he wanted. He clarified: "Your name is Daniel."

"For one second when Mom put it to paper. Every other time, she has called me Danny," I said, turning to Rafe.

"Danny it is," Rafe replied. "Isn't that right, Vladimir?"

I burst out laughing. "Vladimir," I asked, red faced. Vlad grew angry, "I thought Daniel was bad. You've made me feel better."

"Daniel," Vlad warned.

"Oh, leave the boy alone, Vlad. You nitpick too much," Rafe chided.

"Yeah, Vlad, you nitpick too much," I returned. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad… until tonight.

"When's the last time you fed this boy. He's skin and bones," Rafe stared at me.

"I'm fine, really sir," I replied.

"Nonsense. You need a good old-fashioned meal. Good thing I made extras," Rafe replied.

"Dad, we were supposed to go out to eat," Vlad said, disapprovingly.

"We are not eating at some restaurant when I can cook," Rafe scolded. "Money has gotten to your head. When was the last time you cooked for yourself?"

"Well, it's been a while but I'll cook for Daniel and myself later this week," Vlad defended. Was he afraid? I guess Vlad's Dad's last statement proved a point for me: Vlad wasn't always rich.

"You made your staff work through Thanksgiving," Vlad's Dad roared. Oh, this is priceless.

I get a sudden chill and my ghost sense goes off. I look to Vlad who is ducking as his father smacked them in a 'what were you thinking' manner. I have been with him for nearly 3 days and my sense never went off. There's another ghost here.

I walked off as Vlad defends himself from his dad's fury. I just barely made out a ghost. Finally, I find it.

A woman in a hospital gown is peeking around the doorway at Vlad and his father. She stares at Vlad with a protective stance.

"Excuse me, I don't know where the hospital is around here but I know it's not here," I say, getting her attention. She jumped at my voice, then she grew confused.

Her lips started to move but no sound come out. I looked at her questionably and she became frustrated. She tried again but no sound came out. Two possible scenarios appeared: she's mute and still hopes to talk one day or she's an unfinished business ghost.

On Mom and Dad's anniversary, I learned something. I thought that the Ghost Zone was where all souls with unfinished business went to but when I met my maternal grandparents, I discovered the truth. The Ghost Zone is the place all souls who have passed on go to. It's the waiting room for heaven!

_So where do the souls with unfinished business go_, I asked my grandmother.

_They never leave_, she told me. _They can't be heard but for some reason can be seen by children who are still pure. The reason nobody gets suspicious is that kids call them their friends and make up the words they say. Parents call them imaginary friends because only kids could think of the stupidest things they are supposed to say… And they're partly right._

"Have you crossed over yet," I asked her more politely.

"Danny, where you'd run off to," I hear Rafe say.

This panics the woman. I see her throw her hand out towards me and very clearly mouth, 'go away, kid.' She fades away.

"Wait! Who are you," I asked, but she was gone.

"Danny," Rafe asks as he finds me. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine, sir. I was just viewing your home. Very beautiful," I said. How do you drop a bombshell such as 'you've got a ghost living in your home?' The last thing I wanted was to be associated with the quacks.

XXX

Rafe made up three plates and told Vlad he was washing the dishes. It wasn't the best meal but it was darn tasty. I mean, it wasn't store-bought like I expected.

After lunch, Vlad and Rafe started talking as Rafe forced Vlad to wash the dishes. I walked off on my own to find the woman in the gown. It wasn't hard. She was in the doorway of the kitchen, watching the father and son.

"Okay, who are you," I said loudly to the ghost.

"Danny," Rafe asked. Damn! That man just may have the best ears of all older people.

"Yes, sir," I asked, turning around.

"Everything okay," he asked me.

"You don't need to worry about me, sir," I replied politely.

"You are a guest in my house. I won't ignore you because we've just met. I'd like to get to know you," Rafe said.

"Sir, I'm sure you want to spend time with your son. He didn't even tell you I would tag along," I replied. I glanced to my side and the woman was gone.

"That may be so but Vlad did bring you along so now we have the opportunity to get to know each other," Vlad's Dad said.

I laughed, "You're not sore that I interrupted your holiday plans."

"No," Rafe cried out. "I get to make a new friend. This is an opportunity."

"You and Vlad are really different," I said quietly. I looked over to see Vlad washing dishes.

"Vlad wasn't always this way," Rafe said sadly, his voice quiet as well. "Ever since Miranda died, he changed."

"Who's Miranda," I asked.

"His mom," Rafe said with a small smile. "He was only 15, barely your age. She died suddenly. It was hard on the whole family."

"Do you have any other children," I asked.

"A son. He don't have anything to do with us. He left Ohio right after high school and never looks back. I haven't seen him since," Rafe said. I could feel his pain. His son really hurt him. Wow, one son ignores you and the other is a bastard! I feel bad for him.

"Did you ever remarry," I asked sincerely.

"No. Miranda was my only true love. You don't get second chances like that. I'll see again her again someday," Rafe said.

"Do you believe in the afterlife," I asked him.

"Yeah, I do. I've seen enough in my life to suggest there's life after death." Yeah, me too.

"So, what do or did you do," I asked him. This guy was really cool.

"Well, I'm retired FBI now. I used to work there but not much was accomplished," Rafe said.

"I doubt that. I bet you took down those bad guys," I said. "I saw how you are were beating up Vlad."

"Oh, I didn't do that kind of work. You wouldn't understand," Rafe said. "What about you?"

"I'm in ninth grade. I plan to go to college to become an astronaut. I love space," I replied.

"Really. The space program. Are you any good at science," Rafe asked me.

"Yeah. I mean, I'm not the most brilliant person on the planet but I think I'm pretty good at astrology. Especially astrology! I am the top of my class."

"Good. So, do you have any friends," Rafe asked me.

"Yeah. I have two of the best friends in the world and I've got a camp full of kids I talk to at least three times a month. I also have a friend who lives in Texas. We talk on the phone every day."

"So, you're handling the transfer pretty well," Rafe asked me.

"Transfer? What transfer," I asked Rafe.

"Living with Vlad," Rafe asked.

"Oh. So-so. I'll be glad when it's over," I replied.

"It's only temporary," Rafe asked. I hope so.

"Yeah. I can't take living with that man all year. One of us wouldn't see the next Christmas." I don't know which one of us it'd be.

"You don't like Vlad, do you," Rafe asked me with a chuckle.

"In a word: no. He and I don't see things eye to eye," I replied.

"He was a good kid and he's a good man but he really takes the money thing too far," Rafe answered.

"I understand that he got really rich, really fast. Do you think he got corrupted by the sudden change," I asked.

"No," Rafe looked conflicted. "I think it had more to do with the fact Vlad feared losing it again. After he lost it the first time, Vlad became obsessed about money. Then he started his company and it became a Fortune 500. He got the money back too fast and he was already obsessed."

"So the money, it was lost before? Did he lose it as a kid or after he moved out," I asked. I was learning a lot.

"Oh, it was before. It was right before Miranda died. It was a mixture of both."

"Thanks. Really. It's nice to hear a second opinion on Vlad," I said. Rafe nodded. "So, where are you from? Have you always lived in Florida?"

"No. I lived in Ohio. But I'm at an age that I can't take those winters."

"I know. It's nice. Middle of December and it's actually pretty decent. You have it made," I told him.

"Thank you. I do like it better. Don't have to cut firewood here. No cold floors in the mornings, either," Rafe laughed but I didn't get the joke.

"Cold floors," I asked, confused.

"Ugh, this generation! You kids are spoiled. I'd get up as a kid and have to start a fire before school."

Oh, there's the normal old timer. I chuckled inwardly, at least he didn't become half ghost and be forced to defend the town just a few weeks into freshman year.

"Dad," Vlad called casually. Then he grew angry, "Daniel!"

"What," I screamed at him. Did he have to be hateful?

"We're in here, Vlad," Rafe said calmly.

"What are you doing," Vlad asked me harshly. He acted as if I was killing his father or something.

"I'm just talking to your Dad," I said. Vlad stood in front of me. "I'm getting to know you through your father."

Vlad smacked me. It didn't hurt but he used a normal person's strength so Rafe though that it did.

"You'd better not try any funny business!"

"Hey," Rafe called out angrily. "What did Danny do to deserve that?"

"Don't worry about it. He can't hit worth a pound of fudge," I said. "Thanks for the chat, Rafe," I added kindly. I turned around to leave.

Vlad grabbed my arm but it fell a second later. Rafe had Vlad's hand in a traditional hold. "You need to calm down," Rafe ordered.

"No," I said, my voice going high. I saw what was happening. "This is Vlad and my fight. Don't mess up your relationship for me!"

"If Vlad could get that angry at you for talking to me I'm not sure how I should react to him being with you. That was uncalled for," Rafe replied, scolding.

"It's not him. I'm hard to get along with," I tried to place the blame on me.

"Danny, don't lie to me," Rafe chided me. "I've been talking to you all this time and we've gotten along swimmingly."

"Yeah, but with Vlad I can't do that. It's different. Vlad tries and I lock him out. I've been with him for days now. I've had time to really get under his skin."

Rafe let go of Vlad's hand, "You need to tell Danny you're sorry. You overreacted!"

"I didn't smack him for talking to you. I smacked him for getting out of line. With Daniel, you can't give him an inch," Vlad said. It's not like I expected an apology anyway.

"Don't waste your breath, Rafe. Vlad won't do anything he don't want to," I said. I left the room to find the woman.

XXX

I walked the hallway searching for the woman in the gown but I found it more difficult than the last time. I searched the entire area around Vlad and Rafe but couldn't come up with her location. I pushed myself as far as I could go to find her ghostly signature but all I came up with was her trail.

I walked over the entire apartment but the woman was gone. I was just about to start over when Vlad blocked my path. Rafe wasn't there.

"My company car just arrived. We're leaving. If you try anything Daniel, you will pay for it," Vlad threatened.

"Don't worry. I won't try anything," I assured him. What could I do? Tell someone Vlad is raping me. Like Vlad couldn't fix that with a little mind control. I'm beginning to believe Mom won't be able to stop Vlad when she finally finds me.

When I made it outside, Vlad had a large limo sitting outside. It was equipped with dark tint, a driver, fully stocked pantry and a sunroof. It looked just like one of those movie limos. That reminded me of another quality of Vlad's that was undefeatable: his wealth. I was having enough trouble swallowing his invincible power.

XXX

Vlad took Rafe to every mall in the area, paying for everything the man even looked at. Hundreds of last minute shoppers surrounded me but inside I felt so alone. Children being held against their wills and being sexually assaulted shouldn't be able to stand in public places and still be unable to find help but I know it happens every day.

"Vlad," I asked quietly to the man as he looked over some item or another.

Vlad looked up from the glass display box sharply. Rafe coughed suggestively and Vlad controlled his raging demeanor. "Yes, Daniel. What is it?" Well, he almost controlled his raging demeanor.

"I was wondering if I might be able to go over to that Chase Bank and make a withdraw from my account. I see some things that would be perfect for my last minute shopping. May I be excused," I asked. The words came out forced, I know, because I hate asking him for anything.

"I have no problem with that," Vlad said aloud. However, he added mentally, _You'd better not try any funny business_.

Sir, I continued our mental chat, you will allow me to bring the objects home, won't you?

_Of course_, Vlad replied. My voice was still serving as his but I no longer had trouble with telling the difference between us two.

And I won't be beaten for doing so, I asked. Right now, Vlad's father made me cautious of the beatings.

_No_, Vlad replied mentally. _But next time, wait to be addressed before speaking_.

I nodded my head and Vlad's exterior grew impressed. I walked off silently towards the Chase Bank located in the mall. I knew my bank account number so withdrawing the money wouldn't be a problem.

XXX

I withdrew $500 from my account and picked up the necklace I had my eye on for Mom. She rarely got dressed up but when she did, she dazzled. That necklace would definitely add to her charm.

I caught back up to Vlad and Rafe, taking note of Vlad's lingering glare. "Thanks, Vlad." Vlad's stare grew colder instantly. "I mean, thank you for allowing me the opportunity, Vlad."

"Vlad, I'm just going to say it. You need a drink," Rafe informed his son with a chuckle. I thought for a second he'd say something else.

"Great idea, Dad. What do you say we close today with a cold one," Vlad said in a brighter mood. I dreaded the end of the day. I just wish he'd let me go home.

"I meant on your own time but sure. I could go for a brew and we'll get a bite to eat so Danny can tag along," Rafe said. Don't include me in this!

"Great idea," Vlad said. If a dirty look wouldn't get the shit beat out of me, I'd send one his way.

Vlad shopped until after six o'clock. I couldn't help to think back to the first 32 hours. How they seemed to creep by but I prayed for them to be over with. Now I hope these 29 hours creep by but the first five are already gone.

I feel the sting of tears fill my eyes as I think of spending time alone with Vlad again. No matter what happens tonight, I know it will end at six in the morning. However, in 24 hours, I will have no quitting time. I'll be his slave again until I'm back home.

At almost a quarter 'til seven, Vlad's driver pulled up to a local restaurant so we could eat. Vlad walked right behind me, his hand guiding me. I couldn't even feel alone. He wouldn't let me. The waitress led us to a table, each of us taking a menu and a seat. I ordered some motz sticks with cheese sauce instead of marinara with a glass of water.

"Daniel, order something substantial. Leave the appetizers alone," Vlad ordered.

"That's all I'm having," I told him, my voice even.

"No, it's not," Vlad said, his voice not successfully hiding his anger. I have two words: anger management.

"Vlad, please. That's all I want. Don't push me," I said. It came out a little bitchy… but hey! It fits.

"Daniel," Vlad said sternly. The waitress looked at us with amusement.

I pulled a fifty out of my pocket, "Please bring me what I ordered ma'am. This is for you."

Overworked and underpaid people all speak the same language: money. It didn't hurt that the holidays were coming up. The resulting action nonetheless had the waitress turning to Vlad and Rafe, asking: "And what about for you, gentlemen?"

"Daniel," Vlad said after the waitress had gone. Needless to say, he was not happy. "I will not have you doing something like that again. You will obediently do as you're told. Am I clear?"

"Vlad, calm down. The kid wasn't hungry. It's not a crime," Rafe said. I hated to tell him, but to Vlad, it was.

"He defied me," Vlad said. Oh, shit! That's a rule. "How is that not worth punishing?"

"Because your definition of defiance is extremely over the top. The kid has a choice. Just because it doesn't fit yours match for match doesn't make it defiance."

"Bribing a member of this establishment's staff to do as he wishes instead of my wish isn't defiance," Vlad asked. It doesn't matter what Rafe comes up with, I'm screwed.

"Vlad, the kid asked the girl to bring him his order and tipped her. That's not a bribe," Rafe said.

"It's all right," I interjected. Vlad would fuck me tonight, I had no doubt. "Vlad was right. I defied him. I deserve to be punished."

"And you will," Vlad responded. Like I said—no doubt about that.

When the server returned, Vlad asked her to bring a take-out box. After she put the tray down, Vlad grabbed my mozzarella sticks. He allowed me to have the glass of water.

"Vlad, what are you doing," Rafe asked wearily.

"If Daniel doesn't want to eat real food, then he can't have this insubstantial food either. We'll wait until after we're done eating before I'll call off the order time," Vlad said.

"Uh," I said, confused. "Translation, please?"

Rafe looked at Vlad angrily but proceeded anyway: "You're not allowed to eat anything except an entrée but you must say something before we're finished or you won't be allowed to order. I'd wager he'll send you to bed without supper." Rafe's voice went hard: "This is uncalled for!"

"He will learn this way. Those before me let him go amuck, so he has no boundaries. This way he will know to do as I say. You saw how thin he was, Dad," Vlad said.

"You have no right to talk about my parents that way, Vlad! My parents are the best! They take care of me! How dare you lecture on about raising a child? If anyone is a horrible parent, it's you," I said, my voice loud. A few people turned to us but by their sudden loss of interest, I'd say Vlad had something to do with it.

"Don't you raise your voice to me, Daniel. Do I need to remind you who's the boss," Vlad said darkly.

"Oh, shut up. I'm sick of it. You can't learn to enjoy a good thing when you have it," I said. The waitress returned but never looked uncomfortable. I wouldn't doubt Vlad's influencing those people.

"Vlad. Danny. Calm down. We're not talking about parenting skills," Rafe said. Rafe's word of choice reminded me I practically called Vlad my parent.

"He is not my dad," I said, putting as much venom and hate as possible into the word.

"You are right there. Your father failed," Vlad said. I felt my eyes sting the way they do when they glow green. I have no doubt that they are.

"He has never failed me. My dad loves me and he cares for me. He would never put me through the hell you put me through. And you wonder why I won't renounce him!"

"Shut your mouth right now," Vlad said, his anger coming through. He found my trigger and now I've found his.

"Why? Are you afraid Rafe would find out the monster you are," I taunted. It felt good. I had so much pain and frustration pent up, it felt good to let it out.

"You better settle down or we'll leave early. You wouldn't want that, would you? Spend an additional 24 hours with me—one hundred and fourteen hours instead of the planned ninety." My heart leapt to my throat. On any other given circumstance, I'd take the additional 24 hours no sweat. But the thought of being fucked by him an extra day scared me. In fact, I'd do anything to stay here an extra day. Ninety hours sounds like what the brochure for the Titanic would have looked like had they known it would sink.

"No, sir. I'm sorry I got out of line. You know what's best for me and anything I may disagree with needn't be challenged."

"What a good bitch," Vlad replied, content. Fearful, I looked to Rafe. "What, are you crazy? He didn't hear that." I was thankful.

Things became quiet which allowed Rafe and Vlad to enjoy their meals. When my mind went back to the reason for the fight, I tried not to laugh. I hardly eat anymore since becoming half ghost. Vlad will discover it will be difficult to punish me through starvation. I've gone a month without eating before. It's a little uncomfortable but compared to his penis it's a walk in the park.

Then it hit me. I smelled chicken but not just any chicken—my mommy's. Mom makes the best fried chicken in the world but there's only one way I could be smelling her chicken. Someone's afraid.

To a ghost, emotions are food. I taste a person's emotions through my favorite tastes. Fear tastes the best—Mom's chicken. Happiness tastes like blueberry cobbler. Worry—pancakes. But the tricky part is I don't taste anything more. The only way to give my food taste is to find an emotion that tastes like the food I'm about to eat. Not an easy task to do, let me tell you.

But now I can taste Mom's chicken and it makes me want it. I guess I'll give in. As much as I hate to, I've got to have some fried chicken. It may not be Mom's chicken, but it'll do.

I try to tell Vlad I give up but I can't. My voice won't work. Realization dawns on me. It's not taking my cheese sticks or making me watch Rafe and Vlad eat that's the punishment. My punishment is being hungry and not being able to eat.

Vlad invades my mind, _You didn't think it'd be that easy, did you_?

No, but I didn't think you'd be so cruel! How did you do it? Are you attacking someone?

_What are you talking about? I'm not attacking anyone_, Vlad said, confused.

I only taste this when someone's afraid. Who are you scarring, I demanded. I wouldn't allow him to hurt anyone else.

_Oh, Daniel, you have so much to learn. It doesn't have to be a genuine fear to taste like it. It's me. I'm feeding your fear._

It became clear to me now. All the confusion cleared up until it made perfect sense. Every time I got hungry was when I was feasting on some kind of emotion with just enough to make me hungry. Kind of like tasting one bite before dinner. It makes you hungrier. I'm not sure how, but Vlad's feeding me a small bite to keep me hungry.

Unlike in the normal person analogy, when I eat a bite every few seconds, I get even hungrier, not fuller. I need a full meal of fear to satisfy my hunger and a full course over two hours does not compute.

Vlad had to rub it in. Rafe asked me if I was hungry and I responded no, I was fine. Or at least, that's what Vlad made me say. The same way I came with Vlad at the beginning of the week, I heard myself tell Rafe I wasn't hungry. As the night went on, Vlad kept feeding me the fear. At nine o'clock, Vlad called it a night and we took Rafe home. For the first time since the accident, I was actually starving.

XXX

I wanted to cry when I felt the limo kick into gear after we let Rafe out. I knew in a short hour, I'd be crying, screaming and begging again. It helped to know that six o'clock in the morning, it'd end but I couldn't escape the fact that 12 short hours later I'd be with him for 90 hours. Nothing could erase that fact.

Much sooner than I'd like, Vlad was carrying our bags upstairs to a motel room. Vlad opened the door and ordered me inside. I'm so not looking forward to this. Vlad closed the door, dropping the bags to his feet.

"You couldn't help yourself, could you," Vlad said. He had a very dark demeanor and his body was rigid. "I told you to behave but you couldn't carry manners if they had handles."

"I'm sorry. I really am. You know how I can get. Can we just spend the night in separate beds and wait until we leave Florida," I asked, eyes pleading.

"You want to spend the night asleep," Vlad asked me. He crossed the floor, stopping in front of me. I planted on my feet in the ground to keep myself from flying across the room when Vlad hit me.

"Daniel, we will spend the night together just as we have the last two nights. You have no place but with me. When I want you, you will come. When I tell you do something, you would do it regardless of who is present. And the next time you regard me in the same manner as you have this afternoon or any less than expected, we will become imaginative in your punishments."

Vlad's raised his hands slowly, allowing me to purposely note each movement. Vlad's hand came in to contact with my cheek, his full ghostly strength behind the slap. Vlad allowed plenty of time for me to stop his assault but this was a test. I knew if I tried to stop him, the real abuse would ensue and those I couldn't stop.

This is my punishment. Taking his abuse with no objection. To him, I'm practically asking for it—or at least saying I want it. Vlad doesn't care if I object or not. He wins either way.

After Vlad smacked me the second time, his hand balled up into a fist. Last beating I got—with Beth—Vlad never punched me. He simply smacked, backhanded and hit me with his energy. Vlad's fist met my abdomen then his other hand grabbed my hair.

I can't stand when someone grabs my hair and now is no different. My eyes burn the intense feelings of neon eyes as my ghostly eyes kick in. I wanted to badly teach Vlad a lesson and Vlad even made it easy for me to grab his arm but I couldn't. If I denied him or defied him, which ever this would fall under, it'd only get worse. I'd have to bite my tongue and extinguish my eyes.

Vlad moved slow for several insults until he'd had his fun taunting me. Then his movements increase in speed. Vlad brutally assaulted me, not just causing split lips and swelling but breaking bones and burning me with his energy. I silently thanked goodness that Vlad provided the clothing because now those too lay in ruin.

Vlad finished ripping the clothing from my skin, the fabric in tatters. I had trouble seeing out of one eye and my side hurt badly. Vlad pulled me backward until we were touching front to back. I felt a cold sensation overtake my backend, my body racked with chills. Then, from cold to hot, a blinding hot flash intruded my ass.

It may have only been sixteen hours but it was enough for me to get accustomed to the peace those hours brought. Every insult, every disrespect, every disobedience was not worth it for this moment. Vlad still had the last laugh.

Vlad never slowed. He never lessened the pain I was in. In fact, if he felt like I was even slightly not in pain, he'd find a way to increase my pain level. He remained in my anus until well past three. Then I fell him exit.

Two hours left, I figure he'll get some rest so he could spend the day with Rafe. Vlad triggering his rings convinces me, so I settle down for the night. Then I felt a sharp penetration. I scream out louder than I have all night.

Vlad had inserted his penis a fourth of the way into the sensitive area. He may have been in human form but it did nothing to lessen the pain. Vlad's not moving but it still hurts.

"Okay, Daniel, let's start practicing. We'll have four days to work on it soon," Vlad said. I felt his lips touched top of my head. His hands tightened around my hips and I tried to push away from him. Vlad's grip held me tighter.

Vlad came on top of me, resting his full weight on my back. Vlad's lower half became light and the compensated weight toppled on my chest. Still, the pain between my legs outshone it like a supernova against a flashlight.

Vlad lifted my pelvis to be even with his and he gently whispered in my ear, "I'll go soft so it won't hurt you. If you feel the pain lessen and you seem far away, tell me immediately. We cannot have you go comatose again," Vlad said.

The first thrust felt like 1000 knives stabbed between my legs. The next one felt even worse. I cried out but knew it did no good. I kept my screams at bay and settled for pushing my head into the mattress as far as possible without puncturing it.

Butchering mattresses reminded me of the one Vlad destroyed after the 32 hours. We can't just destroy a motel mattresses and not explain!

_I could do anything I want. Hell, I remember this one time I took a bitch with me to a board meeting. After we had sex, I left the mattress as it was making everyone see it as perfect. Six years later they discovered it when the motel changed mattresses. That bitch is missing, presumed dead. They identified the blood but couldn't tell when it happened. She hemorrhaged four years before that_.

I listened in shock, my eyes wide as Vlad recounted the story of a girl who was no longer alive. This poor girl went through hell and he's treated it like a fishing tale.

Vlad, what about the mattress, I asked after a moment to compose myself.

_Oh, I put a protective layer over. Every ounce of sweet blood you lose vaporizes, unfortunately_, Vlad said. He sounded quite disappointed.

I look down but couldn't see anything. I brought my hands up to my eyesight and scratched my skin. The blood slowly trickled down to the bed and it fizzled like water on a hot plate.

Was there anything Vlad couldn't do with his energy, I thought amazed.

"I'll have to give you a little lesson about 5:30," Vlad said aloud. It was a nice breath of air to hear his voice and not mine.

"We won't be doing this for the remainder of our time," I asked hopeful. My breath was ragged and pain laid on the surface but I spoke.

"No, I don't want to push you too far too fast again. Having a comatose bitch isn't as fun as it sounds," Vlad remarked. I grimaced. It's not as fun for the bitch either.

Vlad didn't do much with the area sexual wise. After about 30 minutes, Vlad pulled out. However, he wasn't done with the vagina. Until five o'clock, Vlad sucked me. His tongue plunged like a penis and he still got satisfaction after each suck. Until five-thirty, Vlad held me in his arms, kissing me in in every sexual spot imaginable. Still, I got no satisfaction.

At five-thirty, Vlad ceased the horseplay (that could be considered a pun since a ghost's penis is up in him like a horse) and grabbed two outfits. Vlad held another one of those hideous monkey suits for me to wear like yesterday.

I can't believe I'm even thinking this but thank God soon I'll be naked.

_Agreed,_ Vlad thought back to me.

Oh, hush, I said, somewhat serious and somewhat playful. I'm still naked.

_I know_, Vlad said seductively. _And I already can't wait until you're naked again_. "Okay, let's get serious," Vlad ended the mental conversation, speaking aloud. "I want to teach you how to use your ecto-energy. When doing everyday things, always use green energy. Anything more powerful could harm you."

I walked to the bathroom after Vlad dropped the suit on the bed. He beckoned me into the shower. Vlad formed green energy in his hand and shot randomly in the corner. However the blast didn't damage anything but instead create large cylindrical container.

"Is that…" I asked slowly. No, it couldn't be.

"Yes, it is a washer," Vlad answered. He retrieved his clothing from the bed and they fell into the tub. Vlad formed energy around his hand and held it over the top as well. Next, a lid formed on top of the tub and it made real noise just like a real washer would when it began.

I couldn't help but think of Dad and his obsession to make ectoplasm into everyday items. An ecto-washer and ecto-detergent. It'd thrill him!

"Ectoplasm has no limit. It'll do whatever you want to. The bigger the job, the more power you need. It'd be like trying to get car grease out with Dial soap and water. Ectoplasm's only weakness is imagination. If you can't think of it, obviously it can't do it but if you ask it, it will deliver."

Vlad encased one hand with blue ecto-energy. This one I was envious of. It looks so cool. Vlad shot the blue energy at the floor and as he moved past, he build a box. It wasn't very deep but it was wide. Finally it's shape told me what it was: a shower.

"Daniel, please turn on the cold water," Vlad told me. I reached over and turned the knob to the cold faucet and cold water ran out the tub that was there but hot water ran out of shower Vlad created.

"Wow," I cried. "How'd you do that?"

"Ever notice ecto-energy burns," Vlad remarked. Yeah, I can vouch for that. "Instead of burning the target, warm the water."

"I can't believe this. I never imagined my ecto-energy could do these things. I always thought that it was only a weapon," I told Vlad in disbelief.

"Daniel, you could fill libraries what you don't know," Vlad said. He was insulting me again but I couldn't stop smiling. It was nice to learn something. "Okay, I'll do this so you won't get hurt and I'll shower in the tub."

Vlad turned the water on to pure hot. He adjusted the cold and step into the shower. I done the same. Vlad handed me a green soap bar and began to lather with one of his own.

"Need any shampoo," Vlad asked me. I actually did. I didn't wash my hair yesterday in Wisconsin.

"Yes, please," I responded. Vlad formed ectoplasm in his hand.

"Heads up," Vlad replied as he shot a blast at my head. Heads-up? I think he's trying to shoot my head off! When the blast makes contact, shampoo covered my hair. "And this kind is one size fits all." I sighed in relief.

I lathered up my hair and rinsed it out when I was done. Finally, I was done with my shower. Vlad cut off the water and the shower disappeared under my feet. Vlad and I walk into the bedroom to get dressed.

Vlad began to steam as the water literally dried off in front of my eyes. Me, I turned myself intangible and the water had no skin to cling to. "Nice use your powers. The only reason I could do this is I have heat. Ectoplasm to do this would be quite tricky. You'd risk burning yourself."

"So this is one place ecto-energy can't help you," I said. I knew ecto-energy had a weak spot!

"No, it's not a weakness. It's limited by my authority, not by nature," Vlad defended.

"Potato, patato," I said my spin on the famous saying.

"It's tomato, tamato," Vlad corrected me.

I rolled my eyes, "I know the actual saying. That's just mine. I'm extremely allergic to tomatoes so I changed the saying," I replied. I chuckled to myself, "I tell people I'm so allergic to tomatoes I can't even say them."

Vlad looked at me weirdly, "You used to be allergic to tomatoes?"

"I still am," I said slowly, to make a point. "When I was younger, I stepped onto a tomato barefoot. Tomato juice seeped into a cut on my foot and I had seven reactions before I cleaned my foot."

"Wow. That was quite an allergy," Vlad said. I don't like where this may be headed.

"Still an allergy," I said sternly. I want him to understand.

"I highly doubt you are still allergic," Vlad said. Oh man, this is bad.

"I know that I am," I informed him.

"Okay! That is enough on this subject. Dad is expecting us at six o'clock for breakfast. We don't want to be late," Vlad said ending the discussion. Vlad straighten my coat, my tie and wrinkled out my clothing. "Now, fix your hair. I swear it is ridiculous."

"Don't dis my hair. It's none of your concern," I told Vlad.

"You're my bitch. It is exactly my concern," Vlad told me.

"You will not dabble in my hair affairs," I told him, stretching out hair to make it rhyme with affairs.

"Nevermind. Now, put it back," Vlad ordered me. I formed an ecto-band and secured my hair. I stood in front of a mirror to do it so I could see it.

I whimpered when I saw it. "My poor hair!" I looked like someone who put their hair halfway up, halfway down, with their neck shaved. It looked pathetic! The only part that resembled me was my little wedge bang that wouldn't go in the hairband.

"How on earth does your hair do that," Vlad asked me.

"I don't know. My hair is as big of a mystery to me as my powers. Personally, I believe I have hair power." Actually, it was Brit that said that.

"It's certainly weird and you've been cursed for life. I don't know, maybe all the gel Jack put in his hair made yours stand up! It wouldn't surprise me," Vlad answered.

I saw Vlad put his hand on my shoulder in the mirror and I felt my stomach lurch. Vlad transported out with us again.

I bent over hurling, my stomach doing somersaults. Once my world stopped spinning, I looked at Vlad angrily as I tried to stop vomiting. "Could you m-maybe give me a heads up next time? I hate that power," I looked at him through my side vision as I keep my hands on my knees.

"Okay, I'll give you a heads up for now but do try to get used to it. I'll use that a lot since there is five hours between us and three by flight."

A lump formed in my throat and I tried not to show him my fear. Of course, that battle was lost. Vlad would come from me when he wanted me. I would have no warning. I would have no time to prepare.

Vlad knocked on the door and Rafe answered a moment later. I could tell Vlad wasn't as close to his father as Sam, Tucker, Jazz, Brit and I are with our parents. Even at the Manson's, we just walk in.

"Honestly, Vlad! Just come on in, son. I'm not as limber as I used to be," Rafe answered.

"Dad, how am I supposed to get in the house with the doors locked," Vlad said. That's an interesting point. He could always go intangible but Rafe isn't supposed to know that.

"I never lock my doors," Rafe said aggravated, "you know that."

"This is why I bring this up, Dad. You're an elderly man who lives alone. You should have a dog or an alarm or something and you should certainly lock your doors."

"Oh, Vladimir. Don't lecture me. I may be years out of the trade but I pity the fool who comes in unannounced," Rafe said. I smiled. Rafe was a hell of an older man.

"Dad, please take me up on my offer," Vlad asked… No, pleaded.

"I'm not hiring a butler and I am not moving to Madison with you. Damn boy, it's colder there than it is in Ohio."

"Dad, I have central heat in the castle. You've been there before. I have air! What makes you think I don't have heat," Vlad argued.

Rafe silenced Vlad. "I won't hear any more of this. I'm staying in Florida and I'll continue to live on my own!"

"Fine. Let's cook breakfast," Vlad resigned. Dang, Rafe knows how to beat down Vlad. He's not even fighting anymore.

"So, Danny, what do you like for breakfast," Rafe asked.

"Well," I answered, "I usually eat cereal when I do eat. Apple Jacks."

"You don't have an eating disorder, do you? I don't mean to pry but you are pretty skinny for your age," Rafe asked me. "Did your family have plenty to eat?"

"Oh, Mom and Dad have plenty of food. It's just…" I paused. This was hard to describe. "I can't taste anything anymore. My taste buds have gone on the frizz. So I don't get hungry that much and when I do I usually lose it once I began eating. I have to force myself to eat."

"Oh, you poor boy. Is it a medical condition or have you had it checked out," Rafe asked me.

"I've never had it checked before. I don't think that it's that serious," I told Rafe.

"It's affecting your weight and nutrition," Rafe said. "It's serious. Have him checked out," Rafe aimed the last part to Vlad. Why would he tell Vlad to have me checked? Maybe he wants Vlad to tell Mom and Dad. No chance there. Vlad knows what's up with me more than I do.

"Daniel, set the table," Vlad ordered me. I nodded my acceptance, going to the cabinet and grabbing the dishes. Rafe and Vlad began to scramble eggs together and place biscuits on a pan. Once I have the dishes put out, I hear Vlad order: "Grab the bacon from the refrigerator and fry it on the griddle."

"Would a please kill you," Rafe asked with a grumble.

"He's just grumpy," I told Rafe." He didn't get much sleep last night."

"That's because he forgot how to sleep on a real bed," Rafe told me. "He sleeps on those plants now." couldn't help but laugh. Rafe told it like it was.

I grabbed the bacon in the fridge and put on the griddle. The popping grease didn't bother me like it would most people. Mom says that even kitchen workers should wear hazmat suits.

I finished the bacon and added it to the plates. I placed the last piece of bacon on the plate and I heard Vlad's voice again: "Grab the biscuits, Daniel, and then plate the eggs."

"Vlad," Rafe scolded, "we can do some things, too."

"This is his job," Vlad told Rafe. "He has to earn his keep."

"He's on vacation," Rafe stated firmly. "He does not have to earn his keep."

"Well in my house he does," Vlad told Rafe. I wondered if Vlad remembered we were in Florida.

"When you're back in Wisconsin, you can work the poor boy to death but for the moment you're in my house," Rafe told Vlad pointedly. While they were busy arguing, I plated eggs and biscuits.

"Look at that! Daniel done as he was told," Vlad said, turning to me.

"Yeah, because if I want anything to eat I better do it. You'd argue with your poor father to Earth's end. Don't you know father knows best," I remarked.

"I'm very impressed with your direct approach. You did well, Daniel," Vlad commented me. I didn't feel proud.

"Well, don't get used to it. I was just hungry," I told Vlad. Vlad glared at me but I didn't care. I was so hungry, I could probably eat ten plates of this.

"What do you drink for breakfast, Danny," Rafe asked me. I usually drink milk but for some reason I want apple juice. I could taste it.

"Do you have any apple juice," I asked him. I sure hope he keeps some in his fridge.

"Sorry, kid. I don't really keep Apple juice," Rafe said. "Any other choices?"

"Water will be fine," I remarked. I really detest water but I can't really taste anything anyway so who cares?

"Are you sure? I have other beverages," Rafe asked. I nodded my head.

"Water please," I replied.

"Okay," Rafe drawled out. He took a glass from the counter and walked over to the tap. "Is tap water all right?"

"Sure," I remarked. He poured a glass from the spigot and handed it to me. Rafe grabbed two mugs and gave one to Vlad as he poured himself a cup of coffee. Vlad poured tea in his cup.

We finished eating in silence, not one of us starting a conversation. Before I knew it, it was after seven and we were going out again. We went store to store, shop to shop. I was starting to become accustomed. However, when we finished lunch, Vlad drove us to a shop I didn't expect. I couldn't believe it was even open.

"Vlad, what on earth are we doing in a summer shop," I asked him incredulously.

"You don't have any clothes suitable for our trip this evening, Daniel. This is the last shop," Vlad said. Last stop? It wasn't even 11 o'clock yet!

"Are you spending time down there," Rafe asked Vlad.

"Yeah. I'm going to spend a few weeks there. This Daniel's first trip," Vlad remarked.

"Oh, I'll bet you'll love it. I haven't been there before but Vlad spends a lot of time there," Rafe turned to me. I don't care where it is, 90 hours alone with Vlad sounds horrible. Besides, I do believe he's taking me back to Wisconsin. Vlad is probably going to make me where those things in the castle so I'll freeze to death!

Vlad shopped for me in that summer stop until after 11:30. Then we boarded his limo and drove off. When the limo came to a stop, Vlad stood up saying: "I'll be right back. I need to tell the office I won't be reachable for a few weeks." Vlad left the limo, heading towards a huge corporate office.

"Where are we," I asked aloud. The building was huge and people were buzzing everywhere.

"This is Vlad's business HQ for the Southern District. The main base is in Madison, Wisconsin but he has four bases in the US with 16 international."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing Rafe say. This was his company. This is not fake at all. When I learned what kind of man Vlad really was—that is not the rapist and murderer—I believe his company was bogus. But this is real.

After 2 minutes, Vlad returned and we rode off again. This time we stopped at Rafe's and we carried in all the bags. Vlad, Rafe and I wrapped presents then Vlad told me to follow them. He led us to the kitchen where we yet again began to cook. It was just before 12:30 in the afternoon. Five and a half hours to go.

It didn't take me long to figure out the meal, a traditional Christmas dinner. Vlad had me peeling potatoes to mash when I saw Vlad taking a basting pan to the oven and, the odd thing was the bird was not inside. I thought for a minute there Vlad forgot it but Rafe dismissed my fears.

Rafe moaned in anticipation, adding: "I hope it is good this year as it is every year. No matter how hard I try or who I hire I can never get someone to make the bird like you."

The dirty dog, I thought. He buys a prepared Turkey to fool his dad and uses his mind control to make Rafe think Vlad's cooking it. That is just so wrong.

Around three Vlad ordered me to come with him. I left the living room reluctantly but showing no outer signs of my apprehension. When we made it to the kitchen, Vlad pulled an unprepared Turkey from the fridge.

"I want you to watch and learn," Vlad instructed me. Vlad put the bird on the counter and grabbed the pan straight out of the oven—no glove. Suddenly my thought earlier on grease made no sense. It can go farther than taking a few grease splats on my arm.

Vlad dissolved the wrapping away from the bird and placed it in the pan. I heard the skin sizzle from the heat of the pan. Vlad can touch the pan but the dead bird still screamed. Amazing!

Vlad's hands glowed blue and he placed them over the bird. The blue energy encased the turkey and I heard the skin crack and sizzle. Vlad left the blue energy on the bird until 3 minutes had passed. Then the blue energy turned to purple energy, Vlad leaving it for an additional 2 minutes. After five total minutes of cook time, he removed the energy. The bird looked absolutely beautiful. Vlad's hands came encased in green energy and he shot blades at the turkey. It fell in perfect slices. Vlad disposed (the human way) the bones.

"That was amazing," I remarked. It was still blowing my mind.

"You must remember not to use purple for very long and to never use red. The red will vaporize anything biodegradable," Vlad said. "Dad," he called in a somewhat cheery voice. "Turkey is done!"

We plated the meal and was eating just after 3:30.

I bit into that Turkey and nearly melted. No wonder Rafe couldn't find anything close to this turkey. No stove or even deep fryer can do what Vlad done. That blue energy cooked it to perfection and the purple had gave it a crunch. I'd also bet the blue energy only cooked the inside because the crust was just too perfect. I'd bet I'll never have another turkey like this… Or I'll keep hoping I don't.

After supper, Rafe took a nap. Vlad started to clean up the meal and I decided to take advantage of my free time.

I wandered down the hall towards Rafe's bedroom. On the outside of the wall was the mysterious ghost from yesterday. I approached her gently.

"Hello. We got off on a bad foot yesterday and I wanted to apologize. The ghosts in my town are always up to no good. I didn't know you met them no harm. Again, I apologize," I told her gently.

However, her response was not as gentle as my approach. The woman turned to me pointedly, 'shoo, go away kid,' she said but no sound emanated. I could only tell what she said because I could read her lips.

"What are you doing here? Who are you," I asked her. If she thinks a sharp turn will scare me away she's got another thing coming.

She angrily stormed off but she stopped at a picture on the wall. She pointed to it but couldn't touch it. I walked over to the wall and looked at the picture. The woman was in the picture, looking identical to herself in the present, but in the picture was a little boy and a middle-aged man. It was a younger version but I knew who it was. The man was Rafe, the boy was Vlad and the woman was Miranda. The woman was Rafe's wife; Vlad's mom.

'Now go away kid,' Miranda mouthed again. Then, she disappeared into thin air. I walked along the wall after she left, really looking at the pictures. On every inch of this house, there was a reminder of happier times. Every one of the pictures was from two or more decades ago. They looked so happy.

Then I came across this one picture. It was still old but it was younger than the others. The boy had thick black hair and he was just a child. I looked at the picture, recognizing him from somewhere but I can't remember where. After a moment, I gave up and took a seat in the chair. Vlad finished cleaning up and was reading in a chair. I sat down on the couch and watched my time as a free boy fly away.

"It won't be long. It's already 4:40. One hour and 20 minutes."

A lump formed in my throat and Vlad laughed humorously. I forced to keep myself together. I would not lose it just thinking about it.

Vlad says he has mind control but I believe he also can control time. The 80 minutes couldn't have held onto something if it had claws. I was just beginning to get comfortable when Vlad got up. I looked at the clock to see if it had the answer as to why Vlad was getting up—and it did. It was six o'clock.

Running crosses my mind but then again Vlad can hear. What if I made a scene? Vlad would just erase or whatever their memories where no one could do anything. What about Rafe? Well, Vlad hasn't exactly shown restraint on controlling his father's mind. The phone! Dammit, if it'll even work Vlad already knows about it. I can't control myself to stop thinking. The techniques that the ghost hunters teach aren't working. Vlad can still read my thoughts.

Vlad and Rafe emerge from the bedroom, Vlad holding the bags of clothes. Vlad hugged Rafe, saying goodbye. Once he let go, Vlad stood behind me.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay with your dad? We can stay or I can go home. I don't want you missing time with him." It wasn't very good but I had to try any approach.

"No. We've had plenty of time to spend together. It's time we left," Vlad said in a patient voice. It's only because soon it will be only him and I. I feel nauseous.

"Well, Danny, it was nice to meet you," Rafe said. He walked towards me and hugged me affectionately. "Take care of yourself, kid."

"I will," I said, breaking the hug. I stayed longer than most teenagers would with total strangers but I wanted to hold onto any additional length of time. "Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Masters." I used his last name for the first time to show I truly meant it. Before, I wouldn't call him that so I could alienate him from Vlad.

Rafe looked at me funny. "It's not Masters. It's Fenton," Rafe remarked. I froze in place. Ashamed and embarrassed… Then it hit me.

"Fenton? Like mine," I stated, startled. Rafe looked at me questionably again.

"Yeah," Vlad said, dryly. He acted like we should know this. "He's your grandfather."

Realization slammed me. "He's my grandpa!"

"He's my grandson!" Rafe was just as stunned. Rafe and I stared at each other in awe. This man wasn't Vlad's dad. Rafe was my grandfather.

"Jack," I distantly heard Vlad say disapprovingly.

"Don't you 'Jack' my dad," I spun to him. I mocked the way he said my dad's name.

"Wait a minute, Vlad. This is Jack and Maddie's little boy. That's impossible! That little boy is only seven or eight," Rafe declared.

"No. It's the same one," Vlad told him. "He's 14 years old."

"And what are you doing with him," Rafe asked surprised. I guess he's no longer Rafe. He's my grandfather.

"Maddie and Jack let him spend the first week of his Christmas vacation with me," Vlad replied.

"He's not your foster child," my grandfather declared surprised.

"No," both Vlad and I declared.

"Hell no," I added on. "This is only a one-week deal."

"I thought Danny's parents had lost custody and he was going through a tough adjustment period. He was only a guest," he laughed with a tiresome laugh. This had been confusing to him and now I know why.

"Yeah. Maddie, Jack, Daniel and his older sister Jasmine came over for the reunion last month. I talked them into allowing me to keep Daniel for a week to work some kinks out. We got off to a poor start."

Poor start? That's what he calls trying to kill my dad, kidnapping my mother and terrorizing a houseful of party guests. He has some nerve.

"I can't believe this. I was way off," Grandpa replied.

"I'm sorry, Dad. But we've really got to go. I'm sorry you're just now figuring this out," Vlad said. I wondered if he really was or did he know things would be different if he knew my true identity.

"Wait a minute. Why do you call him Dad? I don't understand," I asked suddenly.

Vlad glared at me but Grandpa replied, "I watched him grow up. He and your father were best friends growing up. In a way, he is my son," Grandpa replied. Now I got it. It's like the Foley's and my family. Tucker calls my parents Mom and Dad Number Two and I call his the same thing. I know I could go over to Mom Number Two for anything and vise versa for Tucker. It was that way for Brit and her parents before they moved too.

"Okay, I get it. So biologically, he is not your son," I asked to clarify.

"No, not biologically," Grandpa answered.

I sighed, "Good. There for second, I thought I was related to him."

I felt a rough hand grabbed me by my upper arm and jerked me backward. "Daniel, we have to go. Now, say goodbye."

"Goodbye," I said slowly. I prayed for a miracle.

Grandpa stood motionless, his eyes wide. He was stuttering but couldn't form a word. "Dad," Vlad addressed. Grandpa mellowed. "We've got to go. We'll miss our flight if we don't. We'll see around. Love you!"

The way Vlad said it was very forceful. Then I saw Grandpa's eyes coast down the road. I wave my hands to try to get Grandpa's attention but it didn't work. Vlad's hand that wasn't gripping my arm held onto the clothes and I felt my stomach lurch. I went to my thighs, dry heaving.

**AN: Chapter companions are available at ****fan fiction dot net slash my forums slash Team 04 Phantom slash 3876657. ****Please review and PM me with any questions.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Butch Hartman owns Danny Phantom. I do not.**

**AN: This story contains rape and male sex. If this disturbs you, please do not read.**

**Chapter Five: Halfa Island**

Once my eyesight cleared, I noticed I was getting quite hot. I look side to side and noticed sand was everywhere. I came to a full upright position, "What?"

"Welcome to 'Isle of the hybrid'. Our very own paradise," Vlad remarked.

"Aisle of the what," I asked. What was he talking about?

"Not aisle, isle," Vlad said. It sounded like the same thing.

"What's the difference," I asked him.

"Aisle, like what you said, is a row. Isle is a land surrounded by water," Vlad applied.

I scoffed, "I'm not the smartest person but even I know it's island," I remarked.

Vlad chuckled, "Yeah, the Island of the hybrid doesn't sound right or roll off the tongue!"

"That's because you didn't take the shortcut. Why not: Hybrid Island," I said. Then I paused. "No, Halfa Island. That's it!"

Vlad looked at me incredulously… but he had a smile on his face, "You haven't been here 2 minutes and you are already renaming my island!"

"It needs my help. Honestly! Where did you come up with that," I asked.

"Never mind," Vlad said. "Let me give you the ground rules. We'll have the island to ourselves so we won't have to worry about distractions. I won't be holding your hand for the next four days but when I call, I expect you to be there. I'll give you the chance to be obedient but if you make me come after you I won't give you that choice. Also, Daniel, allow this to show you what happens when you go back home. If I call and you don't answer, this will be your home."

And just like that Vlad left me alone, heading up the hill from the beach. I stared after him in shock. After all the fear, all the anxiety and this is the big aftermath. I don't believe it.

I looked towards the sky to see an unnatural green dome discoloring the sky above. I didn't need to wonder what the obstruction was. Vlad had a ghost shield installed and I'd wager that since he knew about Halfa's this one doesn't have a loophole. No wonder Vlad feels comfortable not to 'hold my hand.' He's got a stupid ghost shield doing the job for him!

I began to walk down the shore. I don't know where I'm going but it's better than sitting there. The island was huge. Where it ended, I could not see. There was a small embankment going inland where Vlad went but I'm not going that way.

The temperature was so hot for the time of year that I'm certain I'm on the other side of the world. I know that places like this can have warm winters but it's especially hot like this side is experiencing summer. There is one way to test my theory.

I kick my shoes off, careful to keep the sand away. I removed my socks, tucked them in my shoes and bent down to roll up my pants leg. Honestly, now I wonder why I just didn't take my pants off. It's not like I'll keep my pants on for much longer anyway. I tentatively put a toe in the water.

The water was exhilarating, warm yet cold at the same time. And just like that, it went from winter to summer. It was no longer December; instead, it was after Memorial Day. My head rushed in enthusiasm. I could no longer hide my excitement. I shed the stupid suit, laying it on the beach.

I dived into the ocean, allowing it's exhilarating water to wash over me. I allowed the water to wash away my troubles, wishing to forget my shit load of trouble. Of course, it would never work but maybe it would work enough to give me some peace.

I paddled the water, enjoying the odd opportunity. The sun beat through the ghost shield uninterrupted by of the obstruction. The sun's position in the sky also told me that I was far from home. We had left Grandpa's at six o'clock and now the sun was on the other side of the sky. I swam out into the deep blue ocean, curious to discover the end of Vlad's territory. I swam until on the horizon I saw the usual blue on blue scenery of the ocean was now green. End of the shield.

Now with my limits in sight, I swam with determination. Within a few short minutes I saw the boundary.

The shield and the water met in the most unnatural way. Because the rocks, water and atmosphere were of the human plane of existence, the ghost shield had no effect on them. The shield passed through the water as if it were only an image however I've had enough experience to know it wouldn't do that to me.

I turned my attention from my confinement to my space. Maybe I could get through this if I looked at it not like where I can't go but how much room I have. Honestly, I've been restricted for so long; it's nice to have more room to stretch my legs. I turn myself around the rims of the island location. At first glance, I thought it must have been a trick.

The island was nowhere in sight, completely vacant from the scenery. It scared me at first but I stuffed the human fear away. I am half ghost now, that means my limitations are a far-fetch from my previous limitations. In other words, there's absolutely no reason I should fear drowning.

I began my swim back towards land when I was done sightseeing, which honestly didn't take long. After the shore reached my sight, I decided against going back to land. Land meant Vlad whereas water was freeing. It might only be an illusion, but I wasn't ready to be told the truth yet.

Being half ghost certainly has its perks, I'll say that. How many people can say they started to swim in the morning and now it's dark. I'd say that we were about ten or more hours ahead of Standard Eastern Time by the way time was passing. It hit midday a few hours after I arrived so I'd wager that we're somewhere in the south pacific.

"So you're not a complete idiot, unlike your father. Good to know," I heard Vlad say. I didn't look up or try to search him out. For all I knew, he's nowhere around here. "I'm on the beach, boy. About five meters from where you're swimming. It's getting late, Daniel. I want you to get a good night's sleep."

"A good night's sleep? Seriously?"

"Daniel, I didn't have a whole lot of time before. That's not who I am at all. If you think I make love to my bitches 24/7, you're seriously misled and I take the blame. But you will be allowed sleep time," Vlad remarked.

"Fine. We'll go to bed," I remarked. A scary thought began to emerge in my mind but I pushed it aside.

"Not now. We'll sleep in the same bed when I think you're ready," Vlad remarked. It still amused me how he knew what I was thinking before I thought it.

I removed myself from my haven and went straight into the beast's lair. Vlad let me up a small incline and I finally saw the rest of it. The land leveled out for majority of the area, leaving wide-open spaces. Sand was everywhere I looked but the place had some good soil farther from the water.

"Do you like it," Vlad asked me in an optimistic voice.

"It's swell," I said in a dry voice. Vlad's optimism dropped. "Look, I'm a prisoner here. When asked if an inmate likes the prison, does he say, 'oh yes! Best place on earth!' No he doesn't. So don't take it personally."

"This island is meant for us. God's of the universe. This is meant to be our domain. When you join me, you will be master same as I. You will no longer be a bitch. You will be my equal," Vlad remarked. Does he think I'm stupid?

"Your equal. I'll join you but I'll be your equal," I said disbelievingly.

"Yes, you will be my equal. Everything we do will be a joint effort. Do you even know what joint is?"

"Of course I know but I also know you'll tell me anything to get your way. As soon as I do that—which I won't—I'd be your flunky just like Skulker," I remarked.

"You could never be compared to Skulker. Skulker and the others are failed specimens. You and I are perfection," Vlad remarked. What a froot loop!

"We are the same as everyone except we are Halfas. The only thing separating us from humans is the ghost part and vice versa. We are not gods or kings of anything. I'm Danny and you're a Froot Loop," I told him.

Vlad smirked at me oddly as we approach a fifth wheel trailer. Vlad had a camper set up. Vlad stepped into the trailer, not making sure I was following.

"Good God, this must have cost a fortune," I remarked in awe outside the trailer. Every inch of this trailer must have been custom made.

"I spared no expense but it's only temporary. It'll serve its purpose until my house is done then I'll destroy it or something," Vlad remarked.

"Destroy it? Do you know how many people there are who can't afford something like this? Give it to charity. Rifle it off. Sell it even. Don't destroy it," I said in shock.

"It will be obsolete. Why would I deal with the hassle," Vlad asked.

"You don't get it," I said aggravated.

"No, I don't. That's why I asked you to explain," Vlad said.

"There is more to life than what you want or your needs. Sometimes you need to put yourself last so someone else can have a chance to shine. It's more rewarding than you could imagine," I told him.

"You are truly hopeless, child," Vlad said with a look on his face. I can't figure this guy out. "I get why they call you a hero complex ghost instead of the conquering ghost that you are."

That word always sets me off. "I'm not a hero. Just because I have superpowers doesn't make me a hero. There are a lot of people out there with absolutely no special talents and is more of a hero."

"I wasn't calling you a hero. To me, you're nothing more than a child living a fantasy but I'm just saying I finally get it. You are truly a humanitarian."

Then the other part hit me, "What do you mean, conquering ghost?"

"Yes, you are a conquering ghost," Vlad remarked informatively.

"That's a lie," I defended. This upset me more than it perhaps should have. "I would never conquer anything!"

"Then why do you conquer your hometown, huh? You may not realize it, Daniel, but when you throw the ghosts that come through the portal out of town, you are claiming it as yours."

What Vlad was saying registered and suddenly I saw my mission from the ghosts' point of view. All this time, I viewed it as they invaded and I guarded. However, I too am a ghost. I'm no longer a human defending my home, I'm a ghost guarding my new turf.

"Very good," Vlad complemented me and went on to say: "they don't care about the humans. Things are very cut dry in the Ghost Zone. A ghost is either a conquering ghost or a non-conquering ghost. There is no in between in classifications however between the other ghosts you're a hero complex ghost. The ghosts understand our unique situation but you are still a conquering ghost."

"I still don't feel that way," I replied as we entered into the sleeping compartments.

"Well, I certainly don't feel like a non-conquering ghost but that's how I'm classified," Vlad remarked, "This will be your room."

"Hold it, hold it, hold it," I interrupted, "you're a non-conquering ghost?"

"Yeah," Vlad remarked, his temper not flaring like I had expected. "Because I have no intentions, at least that they know of, to conquer anything, I'm non-conquering. Of course, the right person just hadn't come along."

"Not interested," I interjected. "What would I do with subjects? I'm failing the one's I have now!"

Vlad chuckled softly, "Yes, I haven't forgotten about that. I will see if you need a tutor."

"I don't have time for one," I replied, plopping down on the bed in the room. I spread my arms out, watching how one crushed against the wall and the other fell off the side of the bed. "I'm too busy with ghosts."

"What are you doing," Vlad asked me. I looked up from my game.

"Enjoying the cramped conditions of the bed," I replied honestly. I drew my arms inward and expanded them again.

"Enjoying," Vlad asked. "Why would you find that enjoyable?"

Because it'd be difficult for you to fit in here, I replied telepathically. I spoke silently because he had said he'd never punish me for my thoughts.

Vlad chuckled out loud, "Funny. Still remembering the preview I gave you?"

"You mean when I thought males couldn't have sex facing each other," I replied aloud, shuttering at the memory. "Definitely."

"There are a lot of misconceptions about homosexual sex," Vlad informed me. "I hope soon, you may be able to tell fact from fiction."

"Well, I'm not so sure." A lump formed in my throat. Things flow more smoothly when we're not discussing sex. It's almost as if there are no boundaries between us when we're talking, but when sex becomes a topic I freeze. I don't like it and he knows it and I do believe that's the reason he likes it so.

"Not entirely, but you do excite me. You're the first bitch to be able to handle the things I put my women through and the best part is you're still young. Essentially, you should have more difficulties than the others. I guess that's because you are like me. Our power levels are higher, therefore our expectations are higher so it makes sense, kinda, that you'd be the only one who could handle my intense regimen."

"Did you ever stop to think," I said meekly, by voice barely above a whisper, "that your expectations are just too high."

"I know they are," Vlad replied looking at me. "However, it doesn't mean I will lessen my expectations. You are my bitch, I don't lower my expectations for your needs. You push your boundaries for my expectations."

"That's why so many of them die," I replied, my voice still at the same level as before.

Vlad stood up from the bed, his eyes locking with mine for a moment: "There are many bitches in the world. But there is only one you." Vlad exited the room, shutting the lights out as he went. I sat in the dark, thinking about his last sentence. I expected him to bring up how he views human life as expendable, but how he treats me as a valuable resource scares me.

XXX

I opened my eyes after an unknown amount of time had passed. I stretch my muscles alive, the pain I felt in them causing a grunt to escape my lips. I came to my feet, finishing my stretch. I walked over to the light switch, flipped it on, and prepared to begin the day. I figure it's best to get myself up and started then to be rudely awakened by Vlad.

Inside the small sleeper room, there was a smaller closet. Thinking perhaps Vlad stuck the clothes he bought me inside I opened it up. Sure enough, inside are numerous outfits all clearly meant for summertime. However, I think they're girls' clothing because they are tight and revealing. I tried to select one that will both fit and make me comfortable, but I don't believe there's any here.

Without any choice, I instead go for bonus points and pick one that will make Vlad happy. The outfit I select is far from one I may choose on my own.

When I departed from the room, I found Vlad already awake. He looked up sharply from the stove from the sound. "Daniel," Vlad replied, startled. "What are you doing awake?"

"I rarely get any sleep anymore. The teeniest bit will refresh me."

"Breakfast is almost ready. I was going to awaken you after it was done. Have a seat," Vlad said.

I quietly took a seat at the table, waiting patiently for Vlad to finish. I wondered what the billionaire would make. Would it be terrible because he rarely cooks or would it be rich because he's… well rich. I hear Vlad let out a snicker though all I can see is his back.

When Vlad appeared with breakfast, I certainly hadn't seen it before but when I bit into it, it was heavenly. Vlad sat beside me, his own breakfast in front of him, watching me intently. "After the accident, I went to culinary school. I always had an interest in the arts, but after my parents lost our money, I had to choose one thing. Maddie was certain of her future so that meant I was too."

"Why pursue her after all these years," I asked. I mean, he's had countless women since then. What could Mom possibly have the he doesn't already have?

"This Samantha girl, what does she represent? You're uncertain if she feels the same way you do but yet you haven't ended the friendship. What keeps holding you out?"

"That's not the same. I don't hold out for a possible love relationship, I'm terrified of pursuing because I fear losing the friendship. If it was rejection, I'd already asked."

"Seriously, a teenage boy not afraid of rejection. Just tell the truth," Vlad replied.

"I am serious. When I was seven, I had girls at the camp placing dibs on me. For some reason, the only place I can't talk to girls is at my own school. I'm an outsider there."

"But you're used to being a leader," Vlad stated to clarify. Images of the years at the ghost hunters' camp flash in my mind.

"Yeah," I said meekly, "I didn't ask for it. I don't even remember accepting the job. It's always been there; I've always been responsible for it."

"It's because you're a Fenton," Vlad said. "Your family has been in ghost hunting for centuries. When the first ghost portal appeared, no one knew what it was but the town kook suggested it might be a doorway to another realm. He was right. He was your ancestor."

I took another bite of the rare breakfast delicacy, asking as I did: "So, what's on the agenda today?"

"Well, I was thinking that maybe we could work on your vagina," Vlad said. I paused in my effort to take another bite, my fork hanging in the air. "I know that makes you uncomfortable…" Vlad trailed off. He doesn't know anything about how that feels.

"What were you thinking about," I asked, placing the uneaten bite back to the plate. Suddenly, I wasn't hungry anymore.

"Well, I need to get you accustomed to placing pressure on it. The slightest touch and you're coming unglued. If I don't get you able to at least stand to have it touched, then I won't be able to use it after this week is over."

"That… doesn't sound like such a bad idea," I stated quietly. It takes me minutes to get over the sensation. I can't have Vlad spend entire sessions on the sensitive area and expect to go home just afterwards.

"That's what I'm thinking," Vlad remarked to my thought. "If I take you for a night and return you for school or whatever, you may show signs of our rendezvous."

"You can't do this," I stated abruptly. "I spend so much time fighting ghosts. I never know when one will attack. One day they might, one day they might not. But all I know is every day the portal is open, more ghosts discover the only entrance back to the real world!"

"And it doesn't matter," Vlad replied, taking a bite of his breakfast. "You need to finish eating."

"I have responsibilities! The few times I actually spend ghost hunting has severely cut my time I've dedicated to my other obligations. If I am now obligated to being with you whenever you feel like it, I'll be even more strapped for time!"

"If you're concerned about time management, I can arrange for time to be set aside," Vlad remarked, placing his fork on his now-empty plate and folding his fingers above the table.

I perked up, "Really! You mean like… 2 days a week?"

"No," Vlad remarked, his voice level and patient. "I mean 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for the rest of eternity."

Another lump formed in my throat, replacing the one that had previously formed. Thirty-two hours was terrifying at first, and then 90 hours sounded like hell—but forever? "No," I remarked quickly. "I'll make out the time… but please, don't take me."

"I want to," Vlad replied honestly. "Every bitch I've ever had possession of has lived with me from the moment I decided I must have her to the moment she drew her last breath. I'm not used to sharing what's mine."

"Please," I said, my throat swelling from the panic. "I'll come every time I'm called. I'll put you first on my priorities. Don't take me from my family."

"I said I wanted to… I didn't say I would. I can't very well have you disappear and be in my possession when Maddie chooses me, now can I?"

Like I believe that will stop him. There is no end to his level of power. He can do anything and he takes pride in that. He asked my parents for an entire week with me and they didn't blink. I swore I'd never surrender and I'd always fight him but now I'm too afraid of the consequences. It's almost as if he already rules the world.

"Hardly," Vlad replied. "Now, finish your breakfast so I can show you how you'll bathe these next three days."

"I'm done," I replied, pushing my plate away. Vlad set his wrists, allowing his head to prop against his fingers. His gaze intensified, locking eyes with mine. A stinging sensation entered my nose, the odd reoccurrence of smell reintroduced. Apple and cinnamon blended to form a smell I had almost forgotten about. Suddenly, I knew what this breakfast was. It blended apples with cinnamon, a pastry designed to throw off diets and ruin nutritional goals.

I knew it was all in my head. I hadn't had a taste or smell invade my senses for months… well, at least naturally. I picked the fork up, the aroma unbearable. I slipped the cake gently in my mouth, suddenly the cinnamon bursting in my mouth and the crunch of the apple, still crisp and sweet. Before, the cake had been soft and moist, falling apart the minute it hit my tongue. Now, the flavors danced on my palate, a beautiful melody playing.

I forgot how good something could taste. The sweet, decant chocolate of a cupcake, the tangy, bitter taste of a too-young orange, the starchy, buttered taste of mashed potatoes. It's something you can easily take advantage of until it's gone. How I longed once again to have the grace of the greasy, fat-filled taste of the mighty-meaty Nasty Burger meet me. Even the tastes I hadn't cared for before, like cabbage, could be missed if it was missing from your life. Now, the only satisfaction I get is the countless strange-combination shakes I make for myself just to see if I can taste the contradicting flavors or the horrible pairs I'd picked. Cheese puffs, bacon and ice cream blending together shouldn't be so easy to swallow… but for me it is.

The last bite vanished from my plate and Vlad raised his head back into the air, constricting his wrists. His gaze went lax and the flavors disappeared.

A small whiff of cinnamon lingered in the air, as if we had devoured the food and the only thing left was the wrapper.

"No one can understand that, can they," Vlad asked me, glancing in my direction. I closed my eyes, trying to remember the last real smell I had. "Burnt flesh," Vlad answered. It was… as the high volts of electricity coursed through every inch of my body.

"Yours was on a bigger scale but it was the same as mine. The portal had so much juice; it had to for the assigned job. Your parents were opening a doorway to another plane of existence. It's not as easy as plugging in a hair dryer."

"Yeah," I replied, shaking my head. If I dwelled too long, I'd find myself trapped in that portal again, dying.

"We're more alike than you want to admit," Vlad said. "You spent five minutes in a working portal, wondering if you'd ever come out alive. I spent five months in a hospital, wondering if the mysterious condition I had would fry my brain. The doctors had no idea what was spiking every vital I had."

I nodded, "Blood pressure, heart beat, temperature… all twice as high as it's supposed to be."

"Breathing rate," Vlad added.

I looked to him, "What?"

"Your breathing. Try it someday: count the breaths your friends take and then count yours. The longer you stay in ghost form at one time, the harder you'll breathe. It's kind of like a whale or dolphin's lungs. For every hour you spend in ghost mode, you need an equal hour of reserved air. If you run out of air, you can die."

"So when I'm in ghost mode… I'm really breathing but it's already air I've collected? How is that? Why is that?"

"Something like that. There is still human in you and humans must breathe. The longest anyone can hold his or her breath is up to a minute. But then again, we're ghosts too and ghosts don't breathe. It's a mixture of both."

"So why not make us breathe in ghost mode?"

"Then we wouldn't be ghosts. We'd be humans with ghost powers," Vlad remarked.

"That's what we are anyway," I said dryly, looking at him.

"Not quite. We're ghosts who have the ability to blend in with humans but we're ghosts through and through."

"That can't be right! Everything is from the human's point of view. We have higher pulse rates. We have higher blood pressure," I yelled, making my points. I raised my hand in his direction, "We take more breaths to collect reserves! Everything is to compensate for the foreign ghost abilities!"

"That's one way to look at it but you are but a child," Vlad said.

I interrupted him, "True but I'm not stupid! We're half ghost, not half human!"

"Exactly, meaning ghost is dominate," Vlad remarked.

I growled, "Only because they're more powerful than humans. Ghost weapons and ghost's weapons are two different things. The difference is one you carry and the other is you."

"I don't expect you to understand," Vlad said as if I was arguing that the world wasn't round.

"I understand perfectly! It's you who has his head up his ass," I retorted.

"No, I believe it is you I have my head up," Vlad said. He wasn't talking about what I was talking about.

I quieted down, calming my emotions as I did, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have raised my voice."

"You shouldn't question me, either," Vlad remarked dryly.

"I'm sorry about that but if I don't agree with something, then that's it. I won't agree with everything you say… I'll just keep my disagreements to myself."

"I guess I could tolerate that. As long as you know who's boss," Vlad replied, unfolding his arms so he could lift himself up. "It's time."

I lowered my head but proceeded to stand up. I knew who was boss and I didn't like it but I had to know my place. I was a very small leaf in a very strong windstorm… if I didn't blow with the wind, I'd end up being blown away with the wind. I couldn't allow that.

Vlad led us out of the camper and into the heart of the island. Just as the camper disappeared out of sight, a large water tower in the distance appeared on the horizon. "There are no sources of fresh water on this island. To get fresh water, you'd need to strain ocean water or get it from this water tower. I'll just tell you, it's easier this way."

I didn't even want to ask how you strain ocean water and, Vlad, if you're listening, don't explain it. I already have a small headache. Once we approached the massive tank, I noticed the plumbing that lead from it but abruptly stopped. Vlad lifted his hands in the area, "Form ecto-energy," he ordered.

I felt the swirl of energy dance around my hands. It felt so weird yet cool to be able to pull the energy up without firing it. I hadn't noticed that it's the same when I'd use it as a warning in battle. Even the first day I noticed I had ecto-energy I could pull it up around my fists. I just never knew someone could mold objects from it.

"Okay, enough playing. Think of a pipe, including the hollow center and come over here," Vlad ordered. I hadn't formed the pipe yet but his instructions didn't include forming the pipe yet. "Very good," Vlad complimented me. I walked over towards him. "Place your hands at the end of this pipe and as you imagine each component of the pipe, move your hand downward. This way, you won't have to install the shower after you create it."

I imagined a straight pipe to the best of my ability, moving my hand down the tube as I imagined it. The object started taking shape. "Okay, here you want to imagine a large bucket. Make sure the pipe stays open so the water may flow into the container," Vlad instructed me. I kept imagining the pipe until I reached where his hands were, then I began imaging the tank he ordered. "Stop the bucket here, an opening at the bottom. Then, think of another pipe, this time going uphill. When you get here, imagine a spigot. If you want a retractable spigot, imagine it. A head shower, then there you go."

I done as instructed, imagining a retractable hose and spigot at the area where the water would exit the contraption. I was sure to imagine the hollow areas so the water would be able to flow. However, now I had a problem: I had a retractable hose in my hand but nowhere to put it. Vlad smiled, "Now, to see if you are as good as you say you are."

"I don't like where this is going," I remarked, biting down the fear in my throat. However, this fear wasn't of pain; it was the fear you get before a big test.

"Okay, imagine the wall of a shower. Imagine every inch of that object, just as if you were creating it in this instant. Then, once all the bumps are smoothed out in your mind, use the other hand to shoot a beam where the plumbing ends and the shower begins."

I tried my best to imagine it. However, after every accomplishment I made, once I went on to another part of the shower I'd lose focus on the one I imagined before. After a few minutes, I decided it was now or never and I shot the beam.

Vlad chuckled. Well, at least he wasn't mad. The shower looked deformed. It looked as if the momma shower drank heavily when she was pregnant with my shower. Oh, it looked horrible. The bottom looked best but even its floor had a blurb in the lip of the ceramic. The top looked the worst, with the wall sagging and some chunks missing. The absolute worst was how there was no hole for my spigot to emerge from. I had failed.

"Don't be ridiculous," Vlad remarked, ending his merry laughter. "It took me five months to perfect this power. I didn't expect you to get it right on your first try. You did good, Daniel. You did good."

Vlad's fist powered up red energy and he touched one finger to my utter failure. The eyesore disappeared in an instant. "You'll get it someday, Daniel. Don't be so hard on yourself," Vlad replied. The energy changed color from red to green. After a minute of silence, Vlad shot a beam and a perfect shower appeared. He made it look so easy.

"If you listen to me, you may too someday," Vlad remarked. "Now, all you have to do is open the pipes and command the energy to warm the water." Vlad walked back to where the piping began and twisted a normal valve opener. Water began to pour out but it was cold. I focused on warming the water through my ecto-energy. Slowly, steam began lift off the water. Vlad nodded his approval, "Very good. Now, be careful not to make it too hot. You can't feel the temperature so the next thing you know is you're getting 2nd and 3rd degree burns." I didn't worry about that. I figured out a long time ago that everything changes when you become a halfa.

No longer self-conscious, I stripped down to nothing and stepped into the shower. I wasn't that dirty, honestly. Vlad hadn't had sex with me in hours and all day yesterday I swam. Vlad disrobed as well and stepped into the cramped quarters with me. I looked tentatively over my shoulder but managed to keep it together.

Vlad pulled me close, holding my body next to his. My shoulders tensed but I remained quiet. Vlad lifted my chin with a finger until our lips met. Vlad kissed me, holding the kiss for several seconds. He took my hand in his and gently introduced my hand to his shoulder. Then he took my other hand and draped it over his shoulder. His body swung in a rhythm and now with my arms on his torso, I moved to the beat as well.

Vlad's lips once again came crushing against mine, however now with the movement my lips involuntarily moved against his. I closed my eyes, my subconscious telling me I was kissing him. I never outwardly showed my discomfort but I knew he could tell I wasn't enjoying myself. Vlad's hands wrapped around my waist and he pulled me until we were touching. I shivered, as the water would run off his penis and onto mine.

Vlad's mouth left my lips and began to go to my neck. My right hand draped still over his shoulder but the intimacy crushed my left.

Once he arrived fully on my neck, he began to nip at it. Vlad was still Masters so his teeth were normal but that didn't mean it couldn't penetrate flesh. I felt my skin break during one of his bites and his lips sucked the small trickle of blood that formed. Once I felt the nick heal, Vlad lowered himself to my breastplate.

His lips trailed past my nipples and down to my abdomen. Vlad's mouth slowly moved towards my pelvis. Soon, more than the shower created a wet sleeve over my penis. I closed my eyes as his mouth came over the staff in its entirety. I found comfort that he was on my penis and not the sensitive area but I knew the shower was young.

Vlad finally moved off my penis and grabbed my balls in one of his hands. I stood perfectly still, my eyes wide in terror. It wasn't because he was fondling my testicles, but because he was so close to the sensitive area. I felt Vlad's fingers flex past my balls and the tips gently tip the area. My legs kicked from the discomfort, causing Vlad's fingers to bump into the general area. Even though it was only in the vicinity, I grunted out in pain, biting my tongue to stop the scream.

"Well," Vlad hummed as he ran his hand further past my boy genitals. I instructed my legs to go straight as boards but it did little to prevent a reaction. Vlad placed a finger just on the outskirts again and I once again kicked in discomfort.

My gasp had a little more scream in it this time and I pursed my lips together to prevent it from becoming a full scream. However, Vlad knew how this affected me and he pushed in another centimeter. He still wasn't on the sensitive area yet, but I kicked so hard that I threw his hand completely beneath it.

I couldn't stop the scream this time, but I did curb it into a whimper. Vlad twitched his fingers, not removing it from beneath the area but causing it to move from the disturbance. I grunted out in discomfort again but my grunt accompanied a painful sob. Vlad's fingers flexed in the middle and caused the flesh to part. No grunt escaped this time, only a frantic cry.

"Please," I was once again begging. It had been more than a day since I had begged Vlad however it was no use.

"I told you," Vlad replied, "I will not listen to your pathetic cries during our time. Do not waste it; if you want for it to stop, speak to me when I'm not engaged in the middle of our time!"

"Just not the sensitive area," I cried out, bringing my legs together. Big mistake, I realized, as Vlad's hand went sideways and started to push harder against the flesh. I returned them to their former stance but it was too late.

"Well, what do we have here," Vlad remarked. I whimpered even before he began anything. I didn't have to read his mind to know what he was thinking.

Vlad turned his hand sideways and tears welled in my eyes. If the accidental push hurt that bad, I didn't want to feel Vlad doing it on purpose. I felt Vlad's index finger push against the flesh and I cried out. Soon, the middle finger joined the index and he began to push further in. When I felt the index finger push into the tiny cavity, my knees began to buckle.

"That painful, huh," Vlad remarked. I felt something support my knees. I glanced down but Vlad hadn't done anything as far as I could see. Vlad pushed until the index entered the cavity and now the middle finger graced it. Behind them, the widest part of Vlad's hand entered the flesh.

I screamed out in pain, excruciating pain. I swore I could no longer feel my knees below my waist but I still stood on my feet. I felt Vlad's hand ball up and he started to push the fist in. Even though I had already experienced this, I still screamed out in unimaginable pain.

I felt my head swim and I felt as though I would pass out. I noticed I was beginning to feel warm. Less than ten seconds later, I heard Vlad yelp. Out of the corner of my eye, I seen Vlad shoot a beam towards the plumbing. The water ceased and so did the warmth.

Vlad removed his fist from my sensitive area and I finally felt my knees give way. I fell in a thud to the floor but it didn't hurt. I lay there, crumpled up on the ground as Vlad walked over to the tower. He cut the water and the gushing flow of water stopped. I closed my eyes, noticing my cheeks were still wet. I turned myself intangible, the weightlessness causing some relief to flood through my body. However, as soon as I became solid again, the pain persisted.

Vlad's face was unreadable to me, but he spoke slowly: "Go get dressed. I'll see you in a bit." Vlad walked off in the direction of the camper but I stayed on the ground. I still couldn't feel anything below the sensitive area. Everything dimmed in comparison to it.

Sometime later, I came wobbly to my feet. I swayed when my full weight placed on my still aching knees. I lifted myself in the air, too hurt to walk back to the camper. I turned intangible at the area where my room was and phased through. I slowly put on the clothing. Once I was finished dressing, I lay down upon my bed and sobbed.

I don't know how long I lay there, but I noticed how time seemed to accelerate. I came to my feet, the pain apparently gone. However, when I stretched I felt the soreness return. I hadn't felt a subsequent injury in so long and I certainly hadn't felt the resonating pain since the first week after the portal accident. I forgot how debilitating the pain could be when it isn't fresh.

I walked quietly out into the camper, trying to avoid Vlad. When I didn't see him at any of the obvious places, I tried opening my mind. Nothing came back, the area seemingly empty. However, you just don't have a power for twenty years and not know it's weakness. I'm not convinced I'm alone here; why would Vlad leave me behind?

I walked out of the camper and headed for the ocean. With the previous torture, I should hate anything water related but swimming has always relaxed me. I've always wanted a pool at home but Mom and Dad always said they never had the time to level out the ground. If I knew it wouldn't cause questions, I'd just use my powers.

I swam as far away from land as possible and even spent some time underwater. I felt actually free in the water and my mind actually let go of the constant fear of Vlad's return. Soon, the only thing on my mind was enjoying the water—to which I did.

I noticed the sun hit the highest spot in the sky; noon. I turned over, floating on the water. I chuckled to myself; no wonder I picked up on flight so easily. I almost forgot how much swimming was like flight... I mean flight was like swimming. You know you've been a freak of nature too long when you compare the powers to the natural world instead of the other way around.

As the sun began to slip onto the other side of the world, I grew bored of just floating on the water. I flipped over and began swimming into the curve of the dome. I hoped I could find somewhere that was peaceful and furthest from Vlad. I shivered as memories of the hell I've been through since Monday entered my mind.

I focused on swimming, refusing to give into my terror. I had an excuse when Vlad was raping me, no matter what he said, but if I stood strong when he wasn't hurting me, then I was still winning… I think. I'm glad that Vlad won't accept my surrender during sex… I know it's only a reflex. I don't want to give up, I just want him to stop.

On the rim of the dome there were these rocks just sitting there. I floated upon one and pulled my knees closer to my chest. I watched the sun sink slowly into the horizon. It was far from night but the slow descend reminded me that no matter how dark it got, there would always be another sunrise. I don't care how much he hurts me or how much I want to die… I'll know that before Monday, the sun will rise again and this hellish night will end.

The ocean seemed to go on forever, taking with it my chances of escaping. I shook my head. No, Fenton, remember this will pass. You'll see your family again, you'll spend a day away from Vlad, you'll have days you won't be raped… even as I said it, I doubted it.

I glanced up at the sky and was surprised as the purple intertwined with the clear blue sky. Had that much time really slipped by since I arrived? I shook my head, refusing to worry about such nonsense. I was going to stay on this rock until the end of time if I had to.

The horizon began to grow darker, my visibility becoming absent as night fully set in. I could still see better than humans but the night was so black that even I had a problem seeing. I looked to the black sky and saw absolutely nothing. No moon, no stars, no dark purple… clouds had covered the sky that fast.

A flash of lightning lit up the mysterious sky. Dark, ugly clouds stretched in all directions. I still didn't care. If I was lucky, I'd be hit by lightning and be saved from this hell.

The rain began to pour like buckets above my head. I sat there, getting drenched in minutes. Thunder crashed and lightning lit up the sky moments later. Wind blew fiercely, picking up waves and crashing them against the rocks. However, I stayed grounded… I was even stronger than typhoons.

A crash of thunder resonated again and I swore I heard Vlad's voice. I brushed it off, blaming it on my imagination. Then I heard it again. I shook my head, still convinced it wasn't him. Why would he come for me now? But when it happened a third time, I turned in the direction of the island. Of course I couldn't see it, but I knew it couldn't be my imagination. I could feel him, his anger burning deeply. I stood up fearfully, taking to the water.

The ocean was turbulent below the surface, much more than I had anticipated. At first, I was thrown in all directions but I focused. Soon, I had breached the surface enough to where the currents ceased. I held my breath and swam as long as I could without breathing. Finally, my lungs burned and I needed air.

I came to the surface, gulping in huge amounts of oxygen. Lightning lit up the sky but a shadow fell upon me. I looked to see what the shape was and my heart leaped. Vlad had found me.

"Didn't you hear me calling," Vlad demanded. I leaped into the air, my powers surging. I saw Vlad's eyes widen in anger as I lit the preverbal firecracker. If this were the cartoon, you'd see streaks behind me. "Daniel!" Vlad was really angry.

I didn't dare stop, just going in a direction. I saw land and the camper but it blew by so fast that I was once again in the ocean. I hadn't realized that the dome completely covered the island. When I reached the end of the dome, I dropped quickly to the surface of the water then gently lowered my bottom half into the water. My heart beat so hard I thought my heart would bust through my chest. It must have been pushing 250 bpm if not more.

I took calming breaths and because I was Fenton it worked. Soon, I was calm enough to rationalize. I silenced my mind as I sunk under the current.

…

I surfaced, taking a deep breath while I looked around. Once I had collected a big breath of air, I disappeared below the ocean.

…

I raised my head to gulp in another big breath when I felt something grab my hair. I scream out, too scared to be angry for him touching my hair. I began to cry, not knowing what else to do. Vlad lifted me to his level, his light blue face standing out in the pitch-blackness. Vlad took my shoulders and wound them together. Soon, red energy encased me like a Chinese finger puzzle. I struggled but the burns just seared my skin. I cried out for a different reason.

"You had to do that, didn't you," Vlad said, clearly furious.

"Don't," I screamed. "Let me go! Just, please, let me go!"

"No," Vlad remarked darkly. Vlad clenched his jaw, his anger evident in every inch of his body. "I was going to let you have the night off again but you've done it now! I told you to come when called. Not only did you hide from me, you ignored me and ran when caught! You will pay for this and I hope you realize if you're in the real world and do this, your punishment will be tenfold!" I felt my stomach lurch and we were in the camper again. However, I didn't recognize our location. We must be in Vlad's room.

The room was three times bigger than mine and the bed was enormous. This room looked like something I'd expect Vlad to have. It was expensive in the usual ways… furniture. Vlad pushed me to the bed, my face in the covers. I felt heat overcome my entire body and I screamed as my clothes burned off my body. Vlad's hand became freezing against my now naked body. I sobbed but didn't beg.

I felt Vlad penetrate my anus as a ghost. It didn't hurt; I was used to it but I instantly felt the obstruction in my throat. I don't understand it, how does it feel that big? Vlad began to pull and push me along, easily surpassing the 1200 times per minute. I still didn't scream but soon I found him passing the three mark. My head began to become blocky and I found myself in real pain. Vlad was pushing himself and I found myself desperate to escape. I held my ground, praying the sun on my hell would come up soon.

XXX

I thought morning would never come but eventually I did see light come through the blinds. I knew my hell was far from over but at least I had the sun to accompany me. If Vlad hadn't installed the blood burner, I'm certain this bed too would be destroyed. At long last, I felt Vlad pull out of my anus and rest beside me. I pulled my knees to my chest, staying in the fetal position. Death passed through my mind again but I brushed it off. It can't be long. Certainly, Monday can't be too far off.

"Go take a shower and meet me for breakfast," Vlad ordered, standing up to my side. I couldn't see him but I felt the bed shift, signaling him standing up. I heard the footfalls exit the room and the door slam shut. I came to my feet, my injuries long gone. I felt a sob coming on so instead I laughed.

I arrived at the tank less than a minute later, forming the tub section first. It looked crapy; a box with a hole for the spigot. I installed the plumbing, put the hose and spigot in and phased into my boxed shower. As I removed the blood from my anus and legs, the water began to pool. I didn't put in a drain.

After I had cleaned myself up, I phased out of the water box and heated it. The water boiled away faster than any stove burner could dream of. I dissolved my handiwork and went back to the camper. Once dressed, I met Vlad for breakfast.

I ate silently, not daring to speak to the bastard. After eating, I wondered if I could be excused.

"You may not," Vlad replied, still eating his breakfast. I remained quiet, not daring to anger him. After Vlad finished, he spoke, "Follow me."

Vlad didn't go far, only to the counter. He removed a glass and added water. To the water, he put big tablespoons of sugar in. Then he pulled his pants down. Here? And what's with the water?

I went upon Vlad's staff, curious as to why he was in Plasmius form. I ran my mouth over his penis and the cloth immediately choked me up. I continued anyway, the fabric at times rubbing a spot on my mouth or tongue. When Vlad was about to burst, I felt his hands hold me down. You want me to swallow… I get it.

However, I completely missed the fact that ghostly cum is toxic. I felt the burn go down my throat, seemingly burning a hole in my esophagus. I tried pulling away but Vlad tightened his hold. Now I get it.

Once he was finished, he grabbed the water. My eyes widened in horror. Sugar only aggravates injuries. If I drink that, then my throat might swell.

"Exactly," Vlad remarked. "I shouldn't do this because if you knew this trick last night it may have taken me longer to find you… but, since you will be my apprentice I need to give you a heads up. Drink."

I took the glass, tears swelling in my eyes. My throat would swell and I couldn't breathe. When I ran out of oxygen, I'd die. I wish I'd make my mind up… do I want to live or die?

I drank the water in one gulp. Instantly I felt the water begin to work. I dropped the glass, my hands instantly going to my swelling throat. Sparkles began to cloud my vision as my oxygen levels became dangerously low. My head began to swim as I felt consciousness leaving. Vlad walked away, not even staying with me. Please, don't go!

I collapsed to the ground, the world going black around me. I began to cry as I realized I was going to die. I don't want to die! I don't want to! Not this way… I want to go for a purpose. Let me die protecting my family. Let me die saving my town. Just don't kill me because Vlad has nothing better to do. My body started becoming sluggish. I fought the drossiness, knowing if I gave in it'd be my last stand. However, I fell miserably, blackness consuming me.

I opened my eyes slowly, expecting to find my grandparents and be in the Ghost Zone… however, I was still lying on the ground. I lifted my head and my hand went straight for my throat. It was enlarged, completely closed off. I ran to the bedroom where there was a mirror. I looked into the glass and sure enough, my throat had enlarged. I looked closely to my chest but saw no tell-tell signs of breathing. It was as if I was in Phantom mode but I had black hair.

_Anything you can do in ghost mode you can do in human mode_, Sam had speculated. Was she right? Can I survive without air in human form? Am I even still alive? Maybe I'm a ghost.

_You're not a ghost_, I heard myself speculate. I wasn't sure where that thought came from… then I turned around. The bastard that tried to kill me was behind me. _Oh, don't be ridiculous. I knew exactly what I was doing!_

I passed out, I declared angrily. I grew so low on oxygen levels that I collapsed. That was too close for comfort.

_Of course you passed out. You weren't trying to conserve your air levels. You just kept using it up as if your life depended on it_!

I thought it did, I mentally yelled at him. I felt my anger bubble below the surface. I was beyond upset.

_Well, you were wrong_, Vlad replied candidly. _I'll heal your throat tomorrow if it doesn't heal on its own. I've never used this on a ghost before… no need. They don't breathe anyway_.

Wait, you did this to a human.

_When they're misbehaving. I'll cut off their windpipes and make them suffer for a few seconds. It only lasts a manner of seconds but it's one of the most terrifying experiences._ I could vouch for that. _Go out and enjoy some sun. When I call, I expect you to answer_.

Like that's gonna happen, I spoke before I realized what I had said.

_If you don't, I will make your life a living nightmare,_ Vlad glared at me, his threat seemingly concrete. I floated into the air and phased out of the camper. I went back to my rocks.

Once again, I was sitting on that rock with my knees pulled to my chest. However, now, my chest was absent of the pushing and pulling required by all humans. I lay my head on my knees, another clue that says Daniel Fenton isn't entirely human. Sometimes I wonder if I'm human at all.

Vlad said he'd heal me tomorrow so I wonder if that means tomorrows Monday or will he give me a day to breathe, no pun intended. I don't care if I have a day or not, I want today to be Sunday so I can go home. I look out on the horizon, praying I'd see the ops center. I knew I was just wishful thinking… I'm stuck here for the visit's entirety.

I stood from my rock and dived in headfirst. Now that I didn't need to breathe, I could stay underwater so long Vlad wasn't looking for me. I swam deeper than I'd ever gone before, the pressure of the ocean doing nothing to me. When I finished my oceanic tour, I returned to the surface. I didn't want to maybe miss Vlad's call.

I came up to the surface extremely close to the shield. Just being in the vicinity of the shield burnt and I assumed the cause was because I was using my ghost powers to survive with no oxygen. I backed away from the dome, but my foot caught something. I panicked at first but then I noticed it was just a fishnet.

I used my ecto-energy to cut away the net that wrapped around my foot. However, when I came to a full upright position, I noticed something else in the net. It was too big to be a fish but it appeared too small for its size. Upon close observation, I noticed it was a baby shark.

Well, sharky, what are you doing here, I wondered to myself. I couldn't even speak to calm it but it looked too resigned anyway for a fight. I used my ecto-energy to cut it loose as well but the thing began to sink to the bottom.

No! I yelped mentally, racing after it. I used my ghostly powers and the shield burnt me again. I mentally screamed, but began to pull the dying shark away from the bottom of the ocean.

I formed a shallow box with my energy and placed it in the water with the shark inside. I shot another beam and a few dozen fish floated to the top dead. Sorry, guys, but you were doomed anyway. I started collecting the fish and put them in with the shark. It didn't even attempt to feed.

Come on, buddy. You have to try at least, I thought. It just laid there, slowly dying. I picked up a fish, determined not to fail this shark. My energy began to break the fish down like enzymes in the stomach. Finally, I put the fish in the shark's mouth via my intangibility. The shark made an effort.

Knowing what to do now, I began to grab fish after fish, breaking the body mass down. The shark began to gain its strength back.

When the shark was strong enough, I dissolved the box and watched humorously as it went after the live fish instead of the dead ones. It just goes to show you can't suppress nature. Sometimes someone can cheat Mother Nature but in the end she always has her way. However, in that sense, you will forever be Mother Nature's bitch such as I am. I survived the portal accident and even got a glimpse of the processes of life prematurely but I will forever walk the balance of life and death.

When the shark was strong enough, he swam away, passing through the shield as if it were nothing more than a projection. I put my hand towards the green dome and regretfully retrieved it back. The shield was thinner than a piece of paper but it was stronger than steel to me. It was my parents' invention, after all, and it done what they asked of it.

The sun hit the highest part of the sky, signaling the middle of the day. Hopefully tomorrow at this time I will be on my way home. I hope that I am, more than anything I want to see my family and hug my mother. I want to hear my dad blather on about ghosts, knowing secretly that I am one of these so-called ectoplasmic anonymities. I want to see my mother and her overprotectiveness. I want to see Jazz and hear her psychoanalysts of my mental health. Speaking of Jazz, I'll need to keep this secret.

I want to hear Tucker and Sam argue for the millionth time this month about something no one wants to share with me. I want to see Tucker and hear about his newest technology. I want to listen to Sam explain to me again why mainstream is more evil than any ghost I could face. I want to talk to Brit again and discover what mischiefs she's getting into in Texas. I want to talk to Mom and Dad Number Two again and hear Dad Number Two complain about how his newspaper will be ruined beyond recognition when Tucker takes over the paper and hear Mom Number Two defend her son and say that it will be his to do with what he wishes.

I want so much but most of all, I want off this island and away from Vlad. I want to find my first ghost and beat the un-living shit out of it. I want to double dare Dash or anyone at school to look at me cross-eyed. I want to go home and do whatever I want and not have to ask Vlad for everything or anything I do.

I swam away from the shield and went back to my rocks. I stayed there, hiding from Vlad and begging for this week to be over. Oh, God, please end this week.

XXX

The sun hit the last atmospheric layer in the sky, causing the blues to mix with the purple. Night was falling again and that meant that Vlad would probably be looking for me. I tried to take a calming breath but it only put more strain on my sore throat. My hand went instantly to the tender area, and I mentally cursed myself for forgetting. Soon, I thought. Soon, this week will end and I can put it past me.

I decided for one last swim before heading back to land. I jumped into the air and dived headfirst into the water, allowing the chilling water to wash away my fears. I swam towards the bottom of the ocean, the bottom far from sight. Above was an underwater reef and I decided to have a look. As to not scare the inhabitants of the plant, I turned intangible and gazed upon them. However, suddenly a shadow fell over the reef, the fish and marine life fleeing.

I turned around to see a very upset Vlad in Masters form. Vlad, I said, turning tangible. What are you doing here? Was he sightseeing too?

_No, I'm not sightseeing_, Vlad commented, my voice harsh and angry. _I told you to return at dark and you have not_. I searched my mind, not recalling him informing me of a curfew.

I'm sorry, Vlad, I told him. I didn't hear anything about a time to be back.

_Well, I told you and you are to listen,_ Vlad said, my voice harsh and cold. _Now, you will pay for your disobedience._

I'm sorry, Vlad. I don't remember, I tried to reason with him.

_Well, perhaps this will enable you to hear better next time_, Vlad said, grabbing me. Once again, my clothing burned away but this time I was under water. Vlad forced my back down until I was in an angle. The next thing I knew, Vlad pierced something roughly into the sensitive area. I screamed out of my sore throat, the action only adding to my discomfort. Then, Vlad inserted his penis in my anus.

The object, though not moving, caused me pain but Vlad's penis in my anus along with the object caused me more pain than imaginable. I tried to prevent screaming out because nothing good came from it. But as I felt my back go numb and my entire body being racked with chills, I couldn't stop the scream. Vlad had transformed.

In shock, I watched the blood float up around my head and towards the surface. I chuckled at how the green ectoplasm would act like oil in the water. I felt the water rushing through my eardrums as Vlad forced me out and back in his inhuman capabilities. Nothing seemed to make sense to me but I knew something was happening.

I noticed something silver traveling towards us in a slow stride. As the thing got closer, I noticed the shark I had saved earlier. I'm glad it turned out okay.

Something inside my mind tried screaming at me. I couldn't make out what it was saying, but it kept telling me to do something. I wouldn't know what to do, besides anyway it's not like Vlad would let me do anything. He controls every ounce of my body.

The voice screamed at me again. _Remember, Danny, it told me. Think of your family!_

Now it wants me to do something for my family. They're in better shape that I am. What could I do, sitting here being fucked by Vlad and loosing ounces of blood. _Danny!_

Blood, I thought, something clicking. The shark, the other piece centered itself. I was losing blood around a hungry shark. It would attack me! I watched the shark swim slowly towards us and I began to panic. I fought against Vlad's hold.

_What's this_, Vlad said. It looks like you have a visitor.

I struggled with all my might but then my mind went numb. I couldn't move and I felt Vlad pull out of my anus.

_Here_, Vlad said. _Let me help_, he said, cutting my arm. I screamed out, my throat being absolutely strained. Vlad assaulted me, making nicks that would heal almost immediately but still release blood. Vlad chuckled, _oops. It looks like I made it worse. Oh, well, maybe the shark isn't that hungry_.

I watched the shark approach me, his nose getting dangerously close to my pelvic area. It swam around to my backend and out of my sight. Not seeing the shark anymore terrified me. I fought against the strains but Vlad's grip was too tight.

Suddenly I heard Vlad gasp in terror and scream obscenities. I felt the movement return to my limbs and I turned around quickly. What I saw almost made me laugh aloud. The shark had attacked Vlad, causing him to retreat to above the water. The shark turned around and swam back over to me. Scarily, it swam around me just like some kind of sea dog. Then, the shark turned and swam at intense speeds towards the surface, breeching into the air and taking aim at Vlad.

"You stupid shark," Vlad screamed. "Daniel, help me."

Why, I asked. I went forward anyway, touching the sharks skin. It turned on me, causing me to take a swift kick backward. However, the shark calmed upon seeing me and swam around me for several seconds.

"Daniel, get rid of that thing," Vlad yelled. What's the matter, Plasmius, a little old shark got you scared?

After a moment, the shark took off. However, a quarter of the way into the horizon it turned to Vlad. It may have been my imagination, but I swear I saw that shark look at Vlad with its eyes doing the Captain Hook's crocodile thing.

"Now, get up here, Daniel," Vlad ordered. I floated to the surface and went to float beside Vlad. "Now, let's go home."

I've wanted to since the beginning, I thought to myself but knew that wasn't the home he was talking about. I may live in Amity Park, but I guess home will always be wherever Vlad is.

I started flying in the general direction of the island, Vlad floating behind me. When we arrived, Vlad took me back to the bed but instead of having sex with me in the anus, he pulled out the object and inserted his penis in my sensitive area.

When morning came, Vlad didn't get out. He continued pumping well into the afternoon. I wanted to scream so bad but I had gotten used to just crying. I hadn't realized how much screaming and begging took off the edge.

Vlad pulled out as the evening sky was visible outside the window. I couldn't believe how long he had drawn that out. Vlad walked out of the bedroom but didn't say a thing to me. Vlad closed the door.

I stood up, my thighs instantly regretting it. I wobbled over to the door and touched the doorknob to be shocked. I guess I'm not going anywhere.

Vlad returned later with a tray of food and two glasses of water. I was actually hungry and went for the food. "Not so fast," Vlad remarked. Vlad threw me to the floor in a thud and stood in front of me. "Earn it."

I groaned inwardly. Not another blowjob! I placed my mouth over his staff and went over it. When Vlad came, I tried to spit it out but Vlad caught me. "Okay, good job."

I went for the glass of water immediately, anything to get the awful taste out of my mouth. However, the minute I took a drink I instantly regretted trusting him. It was sugar water!

_Finish it_, Vlad ordered telepathically. I hated it, but I gulped it down. My throat immediately swelled again.

Then another obstacle challenged me. I was hungry but how was I going to eat with a swollen throat?

"Think of something," Vlad said, beginning to eat. I watched him eat in envy. I was really hungry!

I tried eating like normal but choked on the food. I coughed it back up, the strain hurting my throat again. I blended the food with my powers until it was almost puree. I took a bite but instantly coughed it back up! Nasty!

I took another bite, forcing it down as far as it could go. However, it became stuck. I tried coughing it back up but it refused. I could stay like this for a while because what is chocking but having food stuck in your airways. However, I didn't want that so I tried removing it to the best of my ability. After all attempts failed, I knew I had one more to try.

I placed my hand at the lodged food's location in a cup shape. I turned my hand intangible and squeamishly stuck it in. Vlad's eyes locked on mine, "Daniel!"

"What," I asked. I covered my mouth with my hands. I could speak again. I then looked at my hand, noticing I still had the bite of food there. "How did I do that," I asked, shaking the bite from my fingers. Gross!

"Never mind that," Vlad retorted. "Now, get down here and suck!"

I picked up my food and, transforming in a split second, blasted out of the house. "I'll be back!" I cried, disappearing from his sight.

Instead of flying to the water like normal, I flew up the hill into the small forest. I ate quickly, wanting to eat like normal. I knew Vlad would beat me for this, if not worse, but it was worth it. I didn't want to learn how to eat with a swollen throat.

After I finished eating, I went back to face the music. My heart leapt to my throat when I saw Vlad's face. If he was normal, I'd fear he'd have a heart attack… or rejoice. Vlad grabbed me by the back of my neck and pushed me into the bedroom. I heard Vlad rummaging in his closet then I felt him at my feet.

I felt Vlad insert something into the sensitive area, pain instantly occurring. Next, I felt a large object inserted into my anus. Then Vlad slipped something over my penis.

Vlad walked to the head of the bed and sat down beside me. He had a white box and two cones in his hand. He attached them to my nipples. My penis began to vibrate while the two objects started up simultaneously. I jumped from all the different feelings happening at the same time.

Vlad started up the small air pump and the cups started moving. It was adding air, making it arousing. I had two pleasure devices working with two pain devices. I squirmed.

Vlad picked up a gaze roll and began to wrap it around my breasts, holding the cups in place. Then he forced me to my knees, the pressure causing more distress on my sensitive area. Vlad forced my head against his penis, "Now!"

I placed my lips over his cock, taking a giant breath before. I knew it would be the last time I'd breathe for a while. I came before Vlad with the Shake and Shimmy but it didn't take long for him to follow my lead. The cum coated every inch of my windpipe and I felt the stinging sensation. Vlad gave me a cup of sugar water and I downed it. I tried to get one more breath but failed. I felt my lungs shut down due to lack of oxygen.

The pain fell to the background as breathing became my biggest priority. I tried to suck in more oxygen but it only caused my throat to become strained and hurt worse. My hands clutched my throat, the skin protruding. I tried to keep my head, and I hoped that now I know what to expect I could maintain better control than last time. However, the longer it's been since I sucked in a breath of air, the more frantic I become.

My head began to swoon again and I was freaking out even though I tried to tell myself I would be okay just as before. Soon, the corners of my eyes became darker and I felt the blackness creeping up on me. Tears bubbled at my eyes, making my vision darker. I felt a snap and suddenly I was crashing to the floor. Darkness completely consumed me.

"Just relax, Daniel. Remember how it feels to transform between a human and a ghost. That slight pain," Vlad was speaking. I opened my eyes to see him leaning against the camper's cabinets leisurely. "It's the same here except you're in human form and not as Phantom."

I found my bearings but it was still incredibly difficult. I came to my feet, wobbly at first, but then I could stand without any intervention. The feelings of Vlad's toys returned, signaling the end of my pain… well, at least from the low oxygen levels.

"Okay," Vlad swung his hand towards the chair of all places. "Have a seat," Vlad ordered, no nonsense in his voice. I mentally pictured the unit and shuttered. I walked over to the chair and positioned myself for the sit. I started lowering myself to the chair slowly. Suddenly, I felt a pressure on my head and I landed in the chair in a heap. Mentally, I screamed.

"Just have a seat. If I wanted it to be easy, I'd told you to lay down," Vlad remarked. I mentally growled at him but showed no outward objection whatsoever. Vlad took a seat across from me. "We're going to treat this as Steps eight and ten with a slight difference. Instead of it being after sex, it's going to be while the objects are in you. That way, I will know if you could possibly do this while you're at home."

My eyes widened and I tried to speak. However, the tightness in my throat made it impossible. I opened my mind waves, Vlad…

"No," Vlad remarked. "We are both incredibly busy. If I can't make it one day, I might have to settle for just putting a vibrator in either your anus or your vagina and let you go. Then you may have obligations and I've overdrawn your time. I may let you get away with just an object."

It was so weird for Vlad to have known what I was thinking about before I spoke them aloud. I know he can read minds and I know now that power isn't quite what us ghost hunters believe it to be but it was still hard to comprehend as a human being. Well, at least for a former human being.

"Don't you agree, Daniel," Vlad remarked. I guess I was focusing on his abilities and not thinking about his comment. I guess so, Vlad. I mean, it is a better alternative I guess. A fuck to go. Splendid!

"Well, I guess I can understand how that would be difficult for you. I just want you to understand that you will be the first bitch to leave me after your initiation. Consider yourself lucky," Vlad replied.

Maybe compared to the others but I am far from lucky. How many other bitches of yours have three private part sex toys?

"That just makes me lucky," Vlad replied, crossing his legs. "You're lucky because you still have a similarly of freedom. You still have to take orders from me and when I'm around ask for permission but there will be days that I won't be there. For the last three to six years of all the other girls' lives, they didn't have that luxury."

Yeah, don't remind me that you are a murderer, I thought, darkly. It wasn't the fact that Vlad had killed before… honestly, I could have guessed that if I'd thought about it… it's just that how easily he'd take my dad's life if he got the opportunity. Even more reason to be on my best game at home.

"I could order you to stand down," Vlad remarked, amused. I think he was musing, not threatening. Vlad nodded his head for affirmation. "It's just a thought."

Yeah, and I wouldn't listen. That is one thing I won't jeopardize, I replied mentally. My friends and my family are more important to me than my life or my safety. The images from my nightmare returned, surprising me. I hadn't thought about the Dream Danny in a while.

"What happened in your dream," Vlad asked me. He propped his hand upon the armrest and laid his chin upon it. "Interesting. I like it."

I shuddered. Well, I sure as hell didn't. Just the thought of turning on my family… of hurting Sam the way Vlad hurts me. I'd kill myself before.

"I'm surprised, Daniel, that with as many ghost attacks as you've been in you don't know," Vlad replied. I looked up at him, "Haven't you been injured before?"

Yes, of course I've been injured before. It heals rapidly, I replied.

"Exactly," Vlad remarked. "Our powers are meant to preserve our lives for as long as possible and when we sustain injuries, our powers protect our lives. I do believe it would be impossible to die from anything other than life force depletion or old age, and I do mean old age. Something like what the Bible speaks of."

Vlad was really daydreaming. The bible speaks of the early humans living to be nearly a thousand years old. That doesn't happen today.

"Well, I don't know for certain. I'm the first ghost hybrid and you're the only other. How would I?"

I don't really care, I replied. I'm just going to live my life and the such. I'm too young to be thinking like that but considering the thing that happened on August 27, I'm lucky to be alive at all.

"The vultures had observed your portal accident," Vlad remarked, catching my attention. "When they returned to my castle, they told me about another human-ghost hybrid. I didn't know… they didn't know that you were Jack's son so seeing you power down last month was really a shocker but I'm glad that it worked out that way."

Why's that, I replied, not really caring but enjoying the company anyway.

"Well, you being Maddie and Jack's son pretty much makes you my son anyway. At least this way, I'll have someone to pass my knowledge down to."

I'm not your son, you're not my father and you never will be! And I won't be your evil apprentice, I barked back. How many times must I tell you this? If that's the reason you've been teaching me these new things; if you believe I will feel obligated to you, then stop! Because I don't!

"In time, you will," Vlad remarked. Well, if he believes that then maybe I should give him reason not to.

I watched the purple sky retreat into total blackness outside the window as night fell upon the island. Vlad made me change positions every once and a while and he also made me move around a bit. It was everyday kind of movements. He even made me complete a few puzzles to see if I could do it at school. That is the last thing I need there.

When dawn broke, Vlad told me to lay down on the bed. There, he proceeded to remove the objects from my body. However, he wasn't done with me because he began to rape me again. However, I have a small ping of hope. Perhaps, this would be the last one for quite a while.

Surprisingly, Vlad kept me there for the rest of the day. As I watched the sun set, I began to wonder if I would ever leave. Mom had ordered Vlad to have me home 'with plenty of time before seven' but it was now dark. I prayed that this was Monday now so this would end soon. I wanted to go home so bad. I wanted to hug my family even though I could never tell them what would be the change. I would know… that would be enough. If this was Monday, then I think it's safe to say I'm never going home.

I felt Vlad withdraw from my anus and stand up from the bed. "It's almost eleven o'clock. Get up and get dressed. You'll be leaving in one hour," he replied. I grew confused but obeyed none the less. Was it just now Monday?

I went outside, the stars and the moon my only source of light, and created a shower. I quickly removed the blood and dried tissue and washed my hair. I burnt my scalp at first but I quickly learned how to do it correctly. I entered into the camper to see Vlad handing me another one of those horrible monkey suits. I took it despite my inward objection.

I dressed there in the family room of the camper while Vlad walked out of the kitchen. "Breakfast is ready, Daniel. Come and eat!"

I walked in but placed a hand on my throat. It's swelled, remember! I spoke, mentally hitting myself for forgetting Vlad could hear me.

"Oh, right. I forgot," Vlad remarked. Vlad walked over to me, placing his hand behind my neck. I felt the swelling go down and my windpipes screamed for air. It literally felt like I was transforming though I didn't change appearances. Weird!

I sat down at the table and began to eat. I wasn't hungry but I didn't want Vlad making me so I ate anyway. I wanted to check the time so I could know how much longer it would before noon. I desperately wanted to go home and the suspense was killing me!

After what to me seemed like forever, Vlad stood up from the table. I came out of my seat in a heartbeat. "Yes," Vlad replied, annoyed. "It's finally time to say goodbye."

"Thank God," I remarked aloud. I was ecstatic and I couldn't hide that fact. I'm not sure if I wanted to.

"Just remember I still own you, Daniel. If I call, you must answer despite your preferences. If I say you can't do something, I expect you to sit out. When I'm around, you will obey me and show me respect. And above all else, if you tell anyone about this I will hurt not you but them! Am I clear?"

I nodded my head slowly. I got the back-story loud and clear, 'you may leave my side but I still own you. You may be away from me but I still expect you to obey me as if I was still there.' Vlad nodded his head in confirmation. Just as he said on the plane, if he can't get me to understand that I'm his, he'll have to find more imaginative ways to make me. I get it. I may be leaving, but he won't be gone.

Vlad placed his hand on my shoulder and I inhaled through my nose. When we landed where we were destined to go, I was surprised not to see my home or Vlad's but an alley. "I had your bags delivered already. I had them put your Christmas gifts in there as well. I will be seeing you again, soon, Daniel."

"Yes, sir," I replied. I tried to focus on Vlad but a sense of foreboding made it impossible.

"And Daniel," Vlad replied. I looked up at him wearily, "Behave!"

"Yes, sir," I spoke, the lump in my throat making it difficult to speak.

Vlad teleported out of the alleyway and left me be. I sighed a breath of relief and exited the alleyway. Outside, I was hit with the bright light of midday. I groaned, realizing the reason for Vlad's strange behavior. Of course it would be nighttime on the island when it was time for me to go home! Shaking my head, I walked towards the airport but then I realized I hadn't a ticket or knew what plane to take. Maybe Vlad wanted me to pay my own way?

As I approached the exit of the airport, I heard someone call my name. I turned around, doubting there were in fact someone else in this very airport with my first and last name. "Mr. Fenton, I'm with DALV. Mr. Masters wanted me to accompany you on your flight home."

"Okay," I replied slowly. "That's not really necessary. I can travel alone."

"No, I have specific instructions from Mr. Masters to accompany you on your trip home. I have round tickets and you traveled here with a set of your own."

"Oh," I replied. "All right. If that's what the Froot Loop told you."

"Excuse me," the man said. I thought about repeating myself but I waved him off. "Well, follow me. We've got to go through security." I followed the man's direction and soon we boarded. I didn't know anything about this man and I was suspicious.

The entire flight from Madison to St. Louis I was on edge. I couldn't help but wonder why Vlad put me on a public flight. Sure, he placed me on one that brought me into this mess, but what if Vlad had this planned from the beginning. What would happen if he only wanted me to think I was going home? What if he was just pretending to release me and planned to kill a plane-full of people to get what he wanted. If he had plans to get me without it looking suspicious, what easier way than a plane crash? How easy would it be for Vlad to blow this plane up? Vlad even told me that it would be nearly impossible for me to die. What could happen if I missed the signs?

Every noise, every feeling I got I reacted to. On several occurrences, the man asked me if I was okay. I wondered if he were in with the plan or would he be another innocent casualty. I had to protect this plane's occupants to the best of my ability, no matter what it cost me. I couldn't live knowing I sacrificed their lives to get away. I doubt that I could escape anyway.

When the fasten seatbelts light flashed on, I was surprised. I didn't want to believe Vlad wouldn't do it. I didn't want to believe it because I didn't want to get my hopes up. I refused to be surprised when this happened though I'd gladly take surprise that I made it home. That wouldn't hurt as much as making myself believe I could go home but couldn't.

The plane touched down in St. Louis, Missouri and I had another hour until I was home. The man delivered me to the man who brought me to the airport from school. I guess he wasn't an employee of Vlad's, maybe he was just someone Vlad paid to do the job. I still didn't breathe (figuratively) until I passed that wonderful sign: Welcome to Amity Park. A Nice Place To Live! It sure was!

**AN: Chapter Companions are available at** **fan fiction dot net slash my forums slash Team 04 Phantom slash 3876657.** **Contact me with any questions or feedback.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or Public Enemies.**

**AN: This story contains rape and male sex. If this disturbs you, please do not read.**

**Chapter Six: Home**

I saw my house pull into view and I couldn't help but sniffle. "Are you all right, Mr. Fenton," the driver asked.

"Yeah," I said, wiping the tear that slid down my face. "I just really missed home!"

"Well, here you are sir. Have a wonderful Christmas, Mr. Fenton and a Happy New Year."

"You as well," I replied, stepping back onto the soil I felt strongest. I could feel my power surging. It was almost as if this place had a magical property to it.

The driver came up beside me with my bags in tow. I lead him to the front door. The man placed the bags on the front step where I took my carry-on bag from the pile. I retrieved my key and opened the door. The man picked up my bags and placed them behind the couch. I shook the feeling of satisfaction to retrieve my money pouch. I tipped the man, him thanking me and going about his schedule. After he left the house, I looked around my home.

The house hadn't changed a bit and that seemed off. I knew it was only because it felt like I hadn't been home in years unlike the actual week it was. I even checked the calendar with the little ghost on the picture. It wore a Santa costume and said December 2004. See, I told myself, you've only been gone for one week.

I walked into the kitchen but couldn't see anyone. I figured they'd be in the lab so I walked downstairs. However, no one was there. I began to grow panicked. What if it wasn't I that was the plan? I called out frantic, "Mom! Dad! Jazz!"

From upstairs, my acute hearing picked up frantic footfalls. I dashed up the stairs, surely using my powers to boost me. "Danny," I heard my Mom's voice cry.

"Mom," I asked. Upon seeing her, I broke down crying and landed in her arms. She held me tight but I could tell she was worried. "Honey, what's wrong?"

"I-I just missed you, t-that's all," I tried to get a grip on my emotions. I failed miserably.

"I missed you too, sweetheart," Mom told me, placing a kiss on my head. I wished I could breathe in her scent but of course I couldn't. I settled for holding on for dear life. "Why didn't you call me? Were you having too much fun at Vlad's?"

I started to shake, unable to hold it all in. I heard another voice, "Mom, what happened?"

"I don't know," I picked up with my ears. I knew it wasn't meant to be heard by me. "He just started crying."

"Danny-boy," I heard my dad broadcast. Shortly after, I heard Mom and Jazz silence Dad. "What's wrong with him," Dad asked quietly. I knew I had to get a grip on myself. Vlad would be pissed if I spilled the beans within the first two minutes.

I pulled away from Mom, albeit hesitantly, and looked to Jazz and Dad who were standing side by side. "I'm okay," I replied miserably. "I just missed you guys so much!"

I hugged my dad next and kept my tears at bay. Next I hugged Jazz but let a whimper escape as I imagined the last image I had of her… well, dream her anyway.

"Danny," Mom spoke. "Honey, you can tell us what's wrong. We won't be upset."

I turned back to her, her sight almost causing me to break down again. I held my breath so I wouldn't. After a moment to compose myself, I spoke, "Nothing's the matter. I'm just being a baby."

"Nonsense," Dad said, smacking me on the back. "You are a man, Danny. You can tell us anything, son."

"I know," I lied. I knew that there were in fact many things I couldn't tell anyone. "I just got emotional, that's all. I went down to the lab hoping to surprise you but you guys weren't down there." I happened to get a real glance at my parents for the first time. They were out of their HAZMAT suits. "Hey, why are you guys guzzled up?"

"The same reason you are," Jazz remarked. I looked down at my clothes to discover I still had that hideous outfit on. "The pageant."

"Oh," I cried. That was the reason Mom had wanted me home early. "That's tonight," I whined. I so don't want to go to that thing tonight.

"Yes," Mom replied. "That's why I told Vlad to get you home early, which he disregarded. It starts in just three hours."

Vlad disregarded a lot, I thought to myself. "That's all right. I got plenty of sleep last night," I lied again. To me, this was still last night.

"Really," Jazz remarked dryly. "Because you look like hell."

She didn't know the half of it, I thought to myself. However, I just remarked, "Well, yeah. I broke down like a child. After I wash my face and get dressed, I'll look better." I'll be damned if I go to anything in town looking like this. I may go to the pageant in my normal clothes since I hadn't wore them in a week.

"Get dressed," Mom asked, surprised. "Why would you change out of that outfit, Danny? It looks great."

"No way I'm going into town looking like this," I replied with a playful tone. "Dash would destroy me! This suit probably cost more than his TV."

"I imagine that suit costs more than a small car," Jazz replied. She may be right.

"Anyway," I started up again, "I'll be upstairs. See you guys in a bit." I didn't want to leave their sights for a moment but I collected by bags and started upstairs.

I heard Mom comment as I passed what should be hearing range, "I wonder why he didn't dehydrate his baggage? Did he forget how to?"

"There's more than just that, Mom. Danny's acting really strange," Jazz replied, her voice worried. I left my door open so I could hear them clearly.

"Even I can tell that," Dad replied. "Maybe we should call Vlad and see what happened in the last week."

Oh, please don't do that. Don't give him any reason to take me! If you make him suspicious or cause him to have his doubts I can keep this to myself, I'm a goner!

"I don't know," Jazz remarked. "I think I can get Danny to talk to me."

"If not you, then one of us should be able to get him to open up," Mom remarked. "I know he's been distant lately, but if something's wrong, he'd tell us."

"Exactly," Jazz remarked. I breathed a sigh of relief. I could avoid disaster now.

I went through my closet to look for my suit but I couldn't pull away from my white t-shirt and blue jeans. I wanted the clothes to wrap me in the comfort they give me. I decided to go with them and pulled them out of my closet. I took a shower, washed my hair with my shampoo and dressed. When I appeared at the bottom of the stairs, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Mom's.

"Daniel," she scolded. "We're going to a formal pageant. You could at least dress appropriately!"

I winced, "Please, don't call me that. I'm been Daniel for the past week. I'd like to be Danny again."

Jazz chuckled, "Mr. Masters called you Daniel."

"All damn week long," I replied, accidently cussing. However, instead of scolding, my parent's and Jazz gasped. "Sorry, it's been a long week."

"You two didn't get along," Dad asked, crestfallen.

"I'm surprised we both made it out alive," I let them in to a small piece of the hell I've been in the last week.

"I haven't seen Mr. Masters," Jazz made a face. "He may not be."

Of course, I kept that part hidden. It wouldn't have been I that would survive if one of us had died. "Vlad's fine and dandy, if not a little crazy."

"So, you didn't have fun," Mom asked me. I laughed to stop from crying.

"No, far from it. That man needs some serious help," I replied. "So, has anyone heard from Sam and Tucker?"

"Wait another five minutes and you'll hear from them yourself," Mom replied.

"They've called every twenty minutes for the past five hours. It's getting annoying," Jazz remarked.

"I can't wait to see them," I replied and I'm certain I broke out in a huge grin. "I've missed everybody so, including the ghosts." I caught myself too late to stop from saying it. I looked fearfully to Mom and Dad and they had this strange look on their faces. "You know, your job. My job." I tried covering up. I wasn't lying… just neither telling the truth.

Mom's face broke out in a laugh, "You really were homesick, huh?"

"You have no idea," I replied softly. The telephone rang out.

"They're earlier this time," Jazz replied, walking over to the phone. "Hello. Is it Sam or Tucker?

"Sam," I heard over the earpiece. "But Tuck's here too. We're getting worried. It's after five and Danny isn't home yet. I think it's time we call up this Masters guy and tell him we're coming for him."

I laughed, trying to keep my voice down. They were definitely impatient.

"Actually, that's not necessary. Danny's home," Jazz replied, her eyes lit up by her smile. Suddenly, they dimmed and I heard the line click. "Hello?"

"They hung up, Jazz," I answered the questions her eyes asked. "You didn't expect them to stay there with me being here, did you?"

"You figured that out from her body language," Mom asked me. I paled. "You're getting better, Danny."

I chuckled nervously, "You know me. Never done improving."

"I do know you and I know that's not true at all," Mom remarked. "But it's showing. Good job, son."

I heard the door open behind me and I turned expectedly. Tucker and Sam barreled through the door. "Danny," they both cried out, excitedly.

I held it together as I embraced them but I couldn't help but hold on tighter than I normally would. "Oh, guys, you have no idea how good it is to see you guys."

"We missed you," Tucker remarked, getting chocked up. I haven't left their side very often since the accident and I know they don't take it well.

"I've missed you two so much," I replied. I pulled away to look at them, "Things go smoothly?"

"Too smoothly," Tucker replied, cryptic. I looked at him to convey my confusion. "Let's talk upstairs. We've got some time before that stupid pageant."

"Okay," I replied, taking the lead. "You guys didn't get in any kind of trouble, did you? I'm sorry if you tried to reach me. Vlad took my phone."

"He what," Mom called from the foot of the stairs.

"It's nothing, Mom," I replied back, quickly. I didn't realize she'd hear us. "He just wanted to make sure we didn't have any distractions." Maybe I gave too much information in that sentence. I walked into my room and stood by the door as Sam took her seat on the beanbag and Tucker took the computer chair. I closed the door and initiated the silent-proof walls.

"Well," Sam began. "Things were going like normal for the first… four days or so. Then, they just mysteriously disappeared. We haven't had a single ghost attack since the seventeenth!"

"Okay, that's weird," I replied. "I'm happy that things have been good for the last three days," I replied. At least they've had a break. "But it sounds off."

"Tell us about it. You weren't the only one that got a holiday," Tucker joked. I laughed along with him because that's what I would have done if he were actually right. I had to keep up appearances.

"This is serious, guys," Sam butt in. "Ghosts just don't take days off. They need to feed to stay alive. Something is keeping them away!"

I chuckled and looked to Sam to put her fears at ease, "Calm down, Sam. Most time, the ghosts don't come here to feed. They actually have restaurants in the Ghost Zone, you know. They usually come to the real world so they can pester me. No Phantom, no fun you know."

"Danny, I get that but not everyone would vanish. If it was that easy to keep the ghosts away, then we'd just quit Team Phantom while we're still ahead. Something is keeping them away!" Sam truly believed we were in danger but I didn't. We could handle whatever they threw at us… we always did. Right now, I wanted to get this stupid pageant over and get some sleep tonight. I didn't want to spend my first day back worrying about ghosts.

"Just calm down, Sam. I just got back and I'm not in a good mood. We can deal with this later; I just want to spend some time relaxing."

"Okay," Sam replied reluctantly. She was worried and I knew it. Deep down, I thought maybe I should be too.

"So, what happened over the week? Did anything sweet happen," Tucker asked innocently.

Images flashed in my mind from the past week. Sweet? Hardly, I thought. I closed my eyes momentarily, trying to erase the nightmares. "Oh, just this and that," I commented. "Vlad tried to get me and him to be friends but the man is a serious froot loop. Needless to say, the past week was a waste." A waste of blood, energy, tears, and a waste of innocence is what it was.

"He didn't even give you anything," Tucker asked. The question was innocent enough but the image that passed through my mind wasn't. Vlad had raped so many people and God knows if he's actually dated before. What if he had something? "Hello, Danny? Are you okay, dude?"

"What," I asked, panic rising in my system. My mind was racing and I could barely catch my breath before it was released again.

"Danny, are you okay," Sam asked me, concerned. She studied me for a moment. "You're pale?"

"It's nothing," I replied. I tried to calm my breaths down but it was rapid.

"Danny, something's wrong," Sam informed me. I controlled my anger. Of course something was wrong! I could have a sexually transmitted disease!

"Just relax guys," I tried to sound impassive. It didn't work.

"We would if you would," Tucker replied.

"What time is it? I don't want to be late," I replied. Some of the kids were going to be in the pageant this year.

"No, we're not going until you tell us what's going on," Sam replied, stubborn.

"You know that's illegal. Everyone attends the pageant," I replied. It wasn't really a concern of mine but I had to come up with a subject changer.

"I don't care. Dash Baxter could have those laws shoved up his rear for all I care," Sam replied. I jumped back as a reflex. "Danny?"

"No," I said, growing so small. I went over to my bed and lay down.

"Danny," Sam asked, concerned.

"Ju-Just leave me alone," I said, pulling my knees to my chest. I didn't want them to leave but they were pushing. I was already broken; it wouldn't take much more for me to shatter.

Tucker looked hurt, "You want us to leave?"

"Or just stop asking all these questions," I yelled out. I didn't want to yell at them! Get a grip, Fenton!

"Danny, we're asking all these questions because we care," Sam said gently.

"Then stop caring," I yelled out again. I closed my eyes, angry with myself for yelling at them again. They're just trying to help… but you can't tell them either. I turned over so I wasn't facing them. "I'm sorry guys. I-I don't want you to leave. You're my best friends. I need you."

I felt a hand on my shoulder and for a moment I thought it was Vlad's. I jumped off the bed, flying into the air. It was Sam.

"Danny," Sam said, holding her hand out in front of her in surprise.

I floated back down to my bed, gently. I looked in their eyes, hurt and worry evident. I closed my eyes again, the tears spilling down my face. "I-I can't, guys. It's not possible."

"Why not," Sam asked me, accusingly. "We agreed to tell each other everything. We made a pact!"

"I know," I said, softly. I opened my eyes again to look at her. "But long before that, I made a pact to myself that I'd never hurt anyone. This would hurt." Not only me, but them. Especially them.

"Danny, we need to trust each other. You have to tell us what's got you like this," Tucker said. I locked eyes with the boy who's my brother for all intents and purposes. I couldn't.

"I'm sorry guys," I said, lying back down. I faced them this time though. "Sometimes, you've got to do what you think is right."

"Even though it may not be," Sam replied. Yeah, even then too.

I stayed quiet, just staring at my wall behind my friends. I thought everything would return to normal once I got home but things have seemed to get worse. Did Vlad change me that much?

XXX

When seven o'clock came around, Mom called us down for the pageant. We all traveled to the pageant together, picking up Mom and Dad Number Two on the way. It went smoothly, the kids waving at me when they saw me. I waved back, their smiling faces taking my troubles away for a short while. After the pageant, most people were leaving but I wanted to go see my kids. Laura came running over to me excitedly.

"Danny, Danny, Danny! Did you see me," she asked me in a breath of air. I laughed at Star's nine-year-old sister.

"Of course I saw you, Laurie. Did you have fun," I asked her. She smiled brightly back at me.

"Yeah," she cried out. "Tori! Danny's here!"

"Danny," Victoria came running over to me. She jumped in my arms which I easily caught her.

"Hey there, sunshine. How's the world been treating you?"

"Fine, now. I didn't think you were going to make it," Victoria said, slightly upset.

"What," I asked, mock shock on my face. "No way would I miss my girls' debut performance."

"Did you hear that, Tori? Danny called me his girl!"

"No, he called me his girl," Victoria retorted. I smiled brighter.

"Girls, there's enough of me to go around," I replied, jokingly. I don't know why these kids are obsessed with me but ever since Dan, Dash's little brother, asked me for my autograph I've been bombarded by all small people. It's all right, though. I don't mind.

After I saw Courtney walking away from the stage, I picked up Laura and carried the two to go greet their older sister. "Hey there, beautiful."

"Danny," Courtney cried. She rushed over and gave me a hug despite the fact I couldn't return it. Those two weren't going to let go easily.

"You were great this year," I replied. This wasn't her first pageant.

"These two didn't do too bad, themselves, did they?"

"No, they didn't," I replied with pride. "You must have passed it on in your genes."

"Must have," Courtney said, jokingly.

"Have you seen Dan or Jake," I asked about the King and Prince's brothers.

"They're around here somewhere," Courtney laughed. "trying to get out of the leotards before they're caught." Courtney laughed some more.

"Well, I'd better go find them before they get away with it, huh," I said with a sly smile.

"Hurry, Danny," Victoria cried out, giggling.

"Let's go, girls," I said, taking off in a slow pace to the dressing room. When we made it to the dressing rooms, Jake and Dan were running around in a half-crazed dash to remove the clothing. "Busted!"

"Danny," Jake cried out, in shock.

"Danny," Dan cried out, running to me. When he took a jump towards me, I barely swung Victoria towards her sister in my other arm so I could catch him.

"I know he's super and all, Dan, but geez, can you treat him human," Courtney replied. I looked to her strangely.

"What does that mean, Courtney," I asked.

She shrugged, "You're awesome!"

I chuckled, "Okay, kids. Time to disembark from the Danny Train!"

"Dis-en-what," Jake asked, his nose wrinkled up.

"Disembark," I repeated. "Get off."

Laura, Victoria and Dan groaned. I chuckled.

"Why didn't you just say that," Jake asked, confused.

"Because," I replied, "I've been called dumb all week. I'm trying something different to prove otherwise!"

"Who called you dumb," Victoria asked, angry. "Dumb is a bad word."

"It sure is," I told her. "You only use that word when you're a bad person. Are you a bad person, Victoria?"

"No way," Victoria declared. "I'm one of the good guys!"

"Then don't ever hurt someone's feeling with that word and you're on your way for a medal," I replied.

"Did someone hurt your feelings, Danny," Laura asked me.

"A little," I replied gently, "But I know he only done it because he's a small man."

"Like my brother," Dan replied, nose wrinkled. "He's a small boy compared to you."

I chuckled, "Only in self-esteem. Dash is pretty large for our age."

"Right," Dan remarked, nodding his head.

"So, ladies, how are your sisters?" A sudden smell invaded my nose, causing me to become curious. The smell was something I had never smelled before.

"You're going to have to be clearer than that," Courtney remarked. "Do you mean Jessica, Star, Emily, or Abigail?"

"I meant all of them," I said. "How are they?"

"Jessica and Star are mean butts, Emily never leaves us alone and Abigail sleeps all day."

"Mean butt is a bad word too, Laura," I informed her. That smell became more prominent and thus more difficult for me to ignore. I still couldn't identify it, though.

She covered her mouth, "Ten hail Danny's, please forgive me Father."

"Laura, you shouldn't do that. That is a sacred saying," I scolded her gently. I knew she wasn't catholic. She was just making a point. The smell started to change over to something I recognize. It was fried chicken, no doubt, which meant someone was scared.

"I'm sorry, Danny," Laura said, her eyes glistening over.

"Just don't do it again, Laura. Be respectful," I told her softly, my mind elsewhere. I tried to focus on her but it was difficult.

"Right," Laura said, drying her spilt tears.

Sam came running into the dressing room, "Danny!"

"Oh, my goodness it's Sam," I heard Laura declare but I laid my full attention on Sam. She was acting urgent. I have a feeling this has something to do with the emotions I'm smelling.

"What's wrong, Sam."

"We've got problems. Our problems," Sam said cryptically. I looked to the five kids in the room. I knew a ghost was attacking now.

"Danny's got to go, kids. Behave and great job tonight," I said quickly. They all grinned broadly.

"Go get 'em, Danny!"

I ignored the confusion and followed Sam outside. As soon as I approached the exit of the auditorium, I heard it.

"Ghost!"

Never before have they called the monster attacks that before, I thought to myself. Sam and I ran for several blocks in the direction of the area where everyone was. In a split second, out of nowhere, I was hit with a wave of emotional smells. I stopped, swaying and fighting nausea. I pushed myself forward, knowing this was no time to get sidetracked. Tucker finally came into view at the top of the hill and I noticed I was almost half a mile away from the auditorium. Tucker stared out in shock but I had no idea what was going on.

When Sam and I finally came to a stop beside Tucker, I looked over the hill. No wonder the smell was so strong. Sam gasped.

"Oh, man. I've never seen this many ghosts attacking at once," Sam said in shock. There's that, but there's also the fact that so many people are witnessing the attacks. Of all the times for an attack!

I pulled out my thermos and then realized, "I'm going to need a bigger thermos."

Suddenly a ghost took aim at me and ransacked me. I was all right but I heard Tucker say in shock, "And a paramedic!"

XXX

We tried. That's all I can say. There were just too many ghosts out for us three to capture. Even if we caught a dozen, there must have been dozens more still left to fight. I gave the first order of my career to retreat, despite Sam and Tucker's objections. They didn't understand and I don't blame them… they had yet to look at defeat. I have.

The next day, the royalty had given an order for all students to arrive at Casper High's auditorium despite it being Christmas Break. When Sam, Tuck and I arrived, the entire school body was there. Children of all ages, despite if they were in first or twelfth grade, was there. I saw many of the children that hang around my house there but many of them were in another portion of the auditorium. When we took our seats, I could hear our peers gossiping about last night's ghost attack. Emotions swirled around the room, invading my nose.

I sunk down in the seat, too embarrassed to sit up straight. It felt as if I made myself known, they'd all know it was me who brought this upon our town. Why didn't I listen to Sam last night? She knew something was going off but I blew her off saying we could handle it. I was wrong, big time, and I couldn't do a damn thing about it. Amity Park would be the first place in the history of Division G that knew about ghosts. Samuels would have my head.

Sam and Tucker looked in my direction; their faces betraying their stance on this whole ordeal. The smells I picked up also betrayed them. I've been able to smell emotions since I became half ghost, however I can't help but notice how acute my nose was. I ignored it, chalking it up to be related to all the time I've spent with Vlad. Tucker felt guilty because he too had laughed at Sam and her 'ridiculous' idea. Sam was trying to pull off a look that said she didn't have any hard feelings but I knew she must have. This was my fault. If I had taken Sam's warning seriously, we might not be in this mess.

"Good morning, children. I am your mayor, Ernesto Montez. I want to speak to you about last night," the mayor began. I tuned him out. It was actually a mockery to have him speaking to us. What did he know about ghosts? All he'll do is feed to the mayhem and make this prime feeding ground.

He gave this big speech about being the best, what he would do to keep us safe, and blah, blah, blah. Then he brought out a television and showed a clip from the local news. I did notice Star running her little legs away from this ghost behind her but I tuned out again. It was hard to ignore the mayor because of my powers but it was easy to ignore the television. The mayor was there in the present while the television was just a recording. Big difference when you can feel the emotions of others.

Next, the principal came out and said they had a set of rules to keep us safe. I whispered to Sam and Tucker, "This is going to end badly."

"One, there will be no contact with these specters." Well, I don't know if that's good news or bad news. I do know I'm the one who breaks that one into a million little pieces. "Two, all students will be escorted home. And three, there will be a nine o'clock curfew."

Tucker was the first to object, "An escort!"

Sam was next, "A curfew." I thought to myself, hello, no contact with specters. I'm a specter!

I couldn't help voicing aloud: "Okay, who's the mayor's idiot advisors." And the door burst open. My parents are the idiot advisors.

Mom came in, decked to the nine in ghost hunting weapons. Like the student body doesn't already think my parents are crazy! Then the injury to insult: "Hey, sweetie!" Yep, right there over the loudspeaker.

"Time to move to the back where no one can notice us," I asked.

Sam agreed, "Time to move to the back where no one can notice us."

Before we even settled into our seats, more smells invaded my nostrils. This tasted different, though. Sam and Tucker followed me into the back but I covered my nose. Of course, it didn't help. Ghosts don't breathe through their noses. A sudden chill of a ghost sense formed, popping out of my mouth. I'd gotten so many last night, I now knew what they felt like again. "Here? Now?" I asked myself regrettably. I was miserable because of the smells but also because my parents were here. That's all I needed was to transform where my parents were. I'd have to be careful so not to tip them off.

However, I never got the chance to slip out of the auditorium before this man leapt out of thin air. I couldn't help but notice how his claws retracted back into his fists the way Wolverine's did. Come to think of it, he looked like Wolverine.

And the screaming began. Students were running around, trying to find a safe place but they weren't exiting the auditorium. Instead, they were relocating to another spot in the auditorium. I guess they believed they were safe because of Mom and Dad. I'd hate to tell them this, but my parents have never fought a ghost before now.

I tried to duck down below the chairs but they were foldable and so when I ducked, I fell over, knocking over a few. Now I wish I hadn't went to the back. I went to stand back up to relocate when this giant, muscled, and hairy arm came crashing down upon me. I landed back on my butt then fell the rest of the way down.

I stared up at the man in shock. Body hair covered him from head to toe. He spoke something that I didn't quite catch but my mind began to work again. I brought my legs up to kick when suddenly he flew off me. I looked in the direction of behind him to see my parents, Mom's bazooka aimed in my direction.

"Get off of him," Mom yelled angrily. I should have known she'd come looking for us.

"Hey, where did you learn to shoot that good," Dad asked surprised.

"What," Mom looked at him cheerily, "You think I sit home and invent new cookie recipes all day?"

Dad went on to ask for a butterscotch apple doodle, causing me to squirm. I turned my head to look for the man but he disappeared through the floorboard. Mom and Dad then took that time to give chase. I decided it'd be wise to do the same. Maybe I could transform once I was away from all these witnesses.

I headed for the door and actually made it outside when I looked behind me to make sure the coast was clear. No one was in the hallway, so it'd be safe to transform, but…

"Bridget Jones's Diary, Fenton! Stop your screaming and get over there to the safe area," Mr. Lancer had instructed me. I turned behind me to see if I saw any ghosts. I didn't. So instead, I searched for Sam and Tucker, leaving Mr. Lancer alone.

"Hey, Danny," Sam called. I walked over to where her and Tucker were.

"What are you guys still doing in the auditorium," I asked them, very disappointed. They know better.

"They're keeping everyone here," Tucker said, annoyed. "Really smart. Just stay where the ghosts can get you."

"Why didn't you go ghost," Sam asked me, quietly.

"I tried," I returned quietly myself. "The chairs were pull-out chairs—they don't make good hiding spots. Then I got attacked by that hairball. I tried to go outside," I replied, looking at Mr. Lancer, "But he stopped me."

"Shoot," Tucker replied.

"Well, we've got to get out of here somehow," Sam replied. "Go back to your place and get some weapons."

"No, you guys are going to stay out of this," I instructed.

"But Danny, you need our help," Sam objected.

"I don't care. It's too dangerous. If I could get Mom and Dad to leave it be, I'd do that too."

"Danny," Tucker objected as well.

"No, and that's my final word. It's too dangerous and I couldn't live with myself if either one of you two got hurt. This isn't just one or two ghosts. This is bigger than any of us has faced before," I tried reasoning.

"More reason to stick together," Sam objected.

"…and you two haven't had formal training. No!"

"Dude, come on. Let us help," Tucker begged.

I took a breath, knowing it was best for all of us, "No, look I'm sorry guys. I don't want to be the bad guy here but I've got no choice. I don't care if you stay home, stay at my house or one of either one of your houses but stay off the streets. I won't jeopardize your lives."

"And we won't yours either," Sam said but she sounded defeated. The three of us ducked out of the crowd and ran from the building. We had business to tend to elsewhere.

We made it back to my house where we found ourselves alone. Perfect! I gave them each a weapon to protect themselves and went to the basement myself. Tonight was going to be a long one.

XXX

I came downstairs the next morning, having just phased into my room via my window. Mom and Dad probably had a long night too because I hadn't seen or heard from them. I grabbed a bowl of Apple Jacks and gobbled them down, determined to return to the streets. Everywhere you looked; there was an eerie glow last night.

I hit the streets again and tried my best to keep the most frequented areas clear and myself out of sight. I didn't want to stick out or be associated with the ghosts. As of right now, my name was pale face boy. I wanted to keep it that way. Around lunchtime, I was heading to Nasty Burger. I had just finished capturing a ghost in my thermos when I noticed my parents heading this direction. I turned invisible quickly and found a place to transform back. I do not want them putting the pieces together.

Mom saw me immediately after I had transformed. "Hey, Danny!" I walked over to them. "Did you sleep well last night?"

I mulled over my answers. "Kinda," I settled for something in the middle of the truth. "Did you guys get in last night?"

"No," Mom replied tiredly. "Everywhere you look, there are bands of these ghosts. They travel in numbers so it's not like you can clean them up. Your father and I are trying to fix a gun so we can take care of it but it's not going well."

I found my opening, "Maybe you should take the afternoon off and work on your weapon?"

"No, sweetheart. You will not fight these ghosts. This is not the same as the camp's program. Just because you do well there doesn't mean you're ready for the real things," Mom informed me. Ha! She's lecturing me about fighting ghosts!

I smiled sheepishly, "Never crossed my mind. I was just stating that since you have no real purpose here maybe you could spend your time wiser."

"Go have some lunch, young man," Mom said playfully. I walked off, seeing my parents talking amongst themselves.

XXX

As I exited the long line, I couldn't believe the number of people here at the Nasty Burger. Not a single table sat unoccupied, the place incredibly packed. "Hey, Danny," I heard a female voice call me. I looked up to see Sam calling again, "Danny!"

"What are you guys doing out," I asked in a hushed voice. "You guys should be at home!"

"Danny, you can tell us not to face these ghosts but you can't tell us to hide! That's not who Team Phantom is," Sam retorted. I guess I understood. I just didn't want them to get hurt.

"Have you found anything out," Tucker asked me.

"Yeah," I replied, "I can't count this high!"

"I mean about who set this up," Tucker asked me, harshly.

"No," I replied more earnest, "As far as I can tell there is no conspiracy."

"I don't believe that," Sam replied, taking a bite of her salad.

"What do you believe," I asked her, unwrapping my mighty-meaty burger. I saw Tucker had already started his.

"Well, like I said, I don't believe that this could all be coincidental. Besides, they're all dressed alike."

"I found that odd, too. I can't quite put my finger on it, but they seem familiar," I replied, taking my first bite. It felt so bland and boring on my tongue.

Sam seemed to notice my change, "Are you okay, Danny?"

"Yeah," I replied, taking another tasteless bite. "Just thinking."

"I wish you'd let us help you," Tucker replied. "We can help!"

"Yeah, and you can bleed and break bones and die," I retorted. "No!"

"Where did that come from," Sam asked me in shock.

"Oh, nowhere," I said, looking down at the table. I grabbed a handful of fries and popped them in my mouth.

"I'm beginning not to like this man," Sam replied unexpectedly.

"What man," I asked suspiciously. I looked around the room to see if I spotted anyone standing out. I didn't.

"Not here," Sam scolded, "This guy you spent the week with. Both times, you come back completely cut off and depressed. Except this time, you came back emotional. I don't know what this guy is doing to you, but I don't like it."

"Don't worry about Vlad. I can handle him," I replied. Of course, I couldn't but they didn't need to know that.

"Apparently, you're not. Danny, you're depressed, you're emotional, you think you're alone. Let us help you."

"There's nothing anyone can do," I said, standing up with my half-eaten tray. I walked away calling, "You guys get back to where it's safe!"

XXX

I was flying over Amity when I spotted Jazz below. Jazz looked up, startling me, but I quickly turned invisible. I might have been seen by her once before but I won't take that chance again. I landed behind a tree and transformed back into Danny Fenton. Oddly, Jazz stood perfectly still.

"There you are, Danny," Jazz replied once I stepped onto the sidewalk. She began walking again. "Mom wanted me to find you and bring you home to get some sleep tonight. She wants us home by no later than six. With the ghosts coming out at that time, she's worried."

"Okay," I said slowly. I wondered why she was looking for me here. I shook my head; that's ridiculous! Jazz didn't see anything! "Let's go."

We walked home in silence for most of the way but when we came upon our street, Jazz began speaking. "I won't be able to keep an eye on you all night, so you're going to have to stay in your room and be so quiet it's like you're not even there. I have a lot of work to complete before the end of the semester so just stay in your room and be so quiet it's like you're not even there." Jazz was acting strange.

I opened the door and stepped inside, asking, "What are you getting at?" However, I heard Dad's voice broadcast.

"Welcome to the first after school meeting of the Casper High Ghostketeers."

"But Jack, it's not after school," Mom replied, looking to him in confusion.

"It will be when school starts up," Dad answered, trying to muffle the response.

"Come on, kids, join us in a battle song," Mom replied cheerfully. I could already feel myself dying of embarrassment. In the front row were Dash, Kwan and Paulina.

"Uh, no thanks," I replied, horrorstricken. "I'm going to be…" I took Jazz's words, "in my room being so quiet like I'm not even there."

Dad began this revision of the Mickey Mouse club theme song, and soon Mom and the rest of the kids chimed in too. I darted up the steps so I could sneak back outside. After I heard the conclusion of the song, I heard Jazz gasp in horror. Why did you even stay that long?

XXX

It was my fifth night of no sleep and I was feeling my human half giving under the strain. I was once again having lunch with Sam and Tucker despite my asking of them to stay home. I gave up lecturing them… they knew what they were doing and nothing I could say could deter them.

I wanted to find that man. I hadn't seen him since the attack in the auditorium. I sat at the Nasty Burger, eating with Sam and Tucker and watching my parents go about 'protecting' the town from the ghosts. Mom was greeting the students as they entered the building and Dad was setting up the portable ghost shield to run off the juice of the RV.

Mom and Dad had a few space heaters set up outside, warming up the outdoor booths, to accommodate the large number of crowds. It seemed to work because the patrons were spread out. Few people, though, were outside like Sam, Tuck and I were. I began gobbling down my food, desperately trying to finish so I could escape this torture. First real torture and now mental; I'm going to lose my mind from this past week. Sam placed her fork back on her bowl of salad, "Are you all right, Danny?"

"Why wouldn't I be," I asked, still shoveling the bites in my mouth. "Just because the town is on high alert, my parents are in the public eye," suddenly, I felt something catch in my throat. I coughed, then turned my hand intangible and retrieved it from my throat: "and I'm eating so fast I just swallowed my spork." I looked at my spork with satisfaction, "There we go. All I know as soon as I find that blathering hairball," I said, smacking my fists together, "I'm gonna toss him back into the Ghost Zone."

Dad came over to our table, and shouted angrily, "I said keep chewing!" Because of Dad's towering size and the fact it was right over our heads, Sam and I began eating faster.

Tucker looked at me, unfazed by Dad's interruption, "I don't think it was blather. I think it was Esperanto."

"Es-pa-wha-wha," Sam asked what was on my mind.

"Esperanto," Tucker repeated. "It's an artificial language from the eighteen hundreds. It's only purpose now is to give geeks a secret language to talk to other geeks. He just looked scared and alone to me."

I went to take another bite of my food when I noticed a ghost sense slip out of my mouth. I groaned out, "Here? Again?"

"But we're chewing like the wind inside an anti-ghost dome. Where could the ghost be," Tucker replied. He had a good point.

A loud explosion went off behind Sam and my seat. We both spun around, Sam exclaiming: "Survey says, behind us." Dad began to cry, devastated as I realized the RV blew up. I thought maybe it wasn't a ghost, but I saw the hairy man in question float up through the ground.

"If anybody asks where I am," I instructed, "lie!" I gave no more instructions as I headed for the nearest hiding spot to go ghost. "I'm go—eek," I came to abrupt stop. Jazz was behind the tree I was running to.

"Danny," Jazz called out, surprised. "Are you hiding here? I'll go hide somewhere else?" Jazz took off, not asking me any more questions. I wondered why she didn't just propose we hide together but whatever her reason, I was grateful. Once she was out of sight, I declared: "Okay, now I'm going ghost!"

I blasted into the air as soon as the transformation took hold. I figured Mom and Dad would be too occupied with the RV to see me. I wanted to catch that ghost! However, two of the ghosts ahead of me suddenly spiraled out of the real world into a green whirlpool. I stopped dead in my tracks and looked behind me. Dad had a gun aimed in my direction.

"A portable ghost portal," I declared, remembering what Mom told me yesterday. As realization dawned on me, all I had to say was: "Oh, great!"

I saw another ghost attacking my ghost. I zoomed after the ghost, knocking him into a spiral. I flew over to my ghost, determined to free him from his painful hold. I shot the rope away from the ghost I was after, the rope around his ghostly tail dissipating. Because the other portion of the rope still drew power from a power source, I knew it would be perfect to implement my ghost stinger.

I grabbed the ends with my hands, calling out the code words: "Go ghost stinger," the rope turning into a painful energy. As it trapped him against the ghost stinger, the ghost vanished before I could identify him. I turned to the man and attempted to show him I was on his side. "Friend. Friend," I called. Surprisingly, the man licked me.

I wiped the saliva away from my face. Gross! Why do I keep getting the weirdos!

"Hold it right there," Dad jumped up from behind a bush. I was startled but Dad's weapon chose to become tangled. "As soon as I untangle this thing, you beasties are going down."

I chuckled softly at Dad's expense, "Don't worry. He's not much of a threat. Now, if my mom were here, we'd be in trouble."

The man spoke his foreign language again and I looked to see if his body language could tell me what he was saying. However, I saw a little red dot light up on the man's forehead. I traced the beam back to see Mom aiming a gun in my direction. I pushed him towards the skyline, "Go!" The blast barely missed us, creating a giant whole in the earth. This gun wasn't a portable ghost portal. "Oh, man, you are so not getting anything for mother's day," I yelled out in distress.

I flew by Sam's house, the ghost floating by the road. "Stay here," I told him, holding my hand firmly.

I floated to Sam's window and gently pecked on the glass. Sam came running to the window and opened it for me. "Sorry, it's freezing tonight," Sam apologized for closing the window.

"Actually, I'm glad that you did. I wouldn't want any ghost coming in here, surprising you while you slept."

Sam groaned, "Oh, Danny! So, what's up," she quipped in a better mood.

"Well, I found the ghost. I was wondering if you'd accompany me to Tucker's so we could have a team meeting."

"Of course," Sam said. She grabbed her coat from her computer chair and reluctantly put it on. "I hate long sleeves."

"Well, flying with me will only make it worse," I replied. Sam smiled weakly but took my hand anyway. I lowered her to the ground and we walked over to where the man was.

"Follow us," I told him slowly. The man followed Sam and I all the way to Tucker's.

"Phase him into Tuck's attic," Sam instructed. "I'll go get Tucker."

"Okay," I replied. I waved my hand at the man and floated to the attic. I stuck my head in the wall to make sure no one was there. With the coast clear, the man and I phased into the attic. I floated in the middle of the room, too lazy to replace my tail with my legs.

"Oh, no, no, no," Tucker came into the room. "Danny, not here!"

Tucker and Sam came over and sat down in the chairs that Mom and Dad Number Two had stored upstairs. "He's got to stay somewhere," I replied.

"But here," Tucker asked me in shock. I know this was not our best choice but it was our only choice. At least until I get our headquarters set up.

I remained quiet, just shrugging my shoulders.

Tucker sighed, defeated. "I guess but I still think this is a bad idea!"

"Well, he can't stay at Danny's. Not with it being ghostketeer central," Sam remarked dryly.

"And besides, you're the only one who can sorta understand him," I replied. Tucker did seem to know more about the language than the rest of us.

Sam walked over to the man and gently placed her hand towards this huge collar around his neck. I hadn't noticed it before. Suddenly, the man growled and swatted Sam's hand away animalistic. Scared, she pushed herself all the way back to the chair. I noticed she wasn't hurt.

"He said not to touch that," Tucker pointed out how ridiculous my last point was for a reason.

I didn't object. I hated leaving my human friends behind to deal with this. It was dangerous but I didn't have a choice, "I need to get my thermos out of my locker. Try to find out what he knows."

I phased out of the roof, heading for the school. I heard Tucker ask the man something in that special language. Before I was out of hearing range, I heard Tucker laugh manically. Well, there goes that plan!

XXX

I phased through the wall of the school, careful not to touch anything. I even phased my hand through my locker so I wouldn't touch it. However, my ghost sense abruptly went off, causing me to wonder off and leaving my thermos in the locker. A high, squeaky voice announced: "So is everyone clear with the plan?"

"Yes, yes. It will all go down at the town meeting," a Hispanic voice responded.

I knew those voices instantly. The first was Dash and the second was Paulina. I powered down outside of the classroom that the voices came from and walked in just past the door, "What town meeting?"

Dash turned on me, startled someone else was there. However, his shocked look turned into one of satisfaction. I heard the door slam shut behind me and I turned to see Kwan had slammed it. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the entire room, probably 50 or more, come to their feet. All eyes began to glow in the low-light conditions.

I stared at the students and townspeople in shock. Dash suddenly dropped to the floor in a thud, but a pale man in a pure white suit stood there. I couldn't believe my eyes: "Walker!"

"Gotcha, punk," he said, all the overshadowed humans coming closer to back Walker up. "So, how does it feel knowing you have nowhere to hide? By the time I'm through with you, you'll be begging for the safety of my prison, where you belong, in the Ghost Zone."

That pissed me off. This is what this is all about? I triggered the rings that transformed me into my ghost form, and brought my hand up to shoot Walker with a beam: "The only thing I'm begging for is for you to try some mouthwash!" As soon as he was away, I blasted off, desperate to reach the comfort and safety of home.

However, before I could escape the area, I noticed my ghost sense go off. I looked around for the ghost but instead found Dash. His eyes glowed the same green as mine; signaling Walker had taken him over again. Walker let out a furious roar, making Dash look completely demonic. I used my strength to aim an attack at him. Actually, it felt good to get back at Dash without the guilt.

Walker as Dash and I hit the ground, bending a car in half with the impact. I flew away from the stunned Walker only to be thrown off course by a blast. I looked up to see Mr. Lancer and Principal Ishyama standing in my way. I shot at Mr. Lancer but I felt something wrap around my mid-waste. I grabbed the contraption but not in time, the thing lighting up and electrocuting me. I screamed out but the pain was premature. I found comfort in that, knowing that my pain would end soon again unlike it had with Vlad. I grabbed the contraption and yanked with all my might until it sent my principal caroling away. I broke the claw, dropping it to the ground.

I blasted off only to have Paulina attack me. It looked like her, it even sounded like her. "You can't get away from me," she said, angrily. However, all I heard was the crush of my middle school years say she wanted me. I sighed.

"I've waited all puberty for that girl to say that to me and now it's a complete bummer," I remarked dryly. I've already had a man tell me that, I thought. I don't need another. I grabbed her hand, hesitating, but tossed her into the other direction.

With those ghosts taken care of, I had time to go after the ghost inside Kwan. He landed on the wall of a building and I closely followed. The motion made me sick but I bit it down, too angry to feel the motion. Kwan twirled a stick in his hand, acting big and tough. Who needs weapons when you yourself is a weapon? I blasted Kwan off the building, crushing him further into the concrete. Now, I have the start I needed.

I phased through my house, darting for the basement. I didn't care that I was in Phantom form. I needed to activate the ghost shield and fast. I darted from one corner of the basement to the next, crying, "Ghost shield, ghost shield!" Finally, I found it, activating it without hesitation. I phased up to my bedroom, opening the blind and triggering my rings. The group of overshadowed humans looked on in disappointment. I dropped the blinds.

I walked back downstairs, too tired to stay awake but too scared to sleep in my bed. If Mom and Dad came home and discovered the shield up, they might deactivate it. I needed to be there so I could alert them that it needed activation. I lay down on the couch, looking to the ceiling.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Walker coming inside my house. My sister was probably upstairs and I just survived someone taking me away from home. I'd be damned if I faced this again. I decided to just stay awake another day. This can't last much longer.

XXX

I opened my eyes groggily, trying to figure out what happened. "I fell asleep," I asked, confused. My eyes fell upon a clock and I jumped off the couch, "and it's ten-eighteen!" I hadn't slept this late in a long time. Well, it was late last night. My mind flashed to the shield and I hurried to check it, "Well, at least the shield's still up," I said relieved.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty," Sam's voice made herself known. I looked in the direction of the voice to see Sam and Tucker looking at me amused.

"How did you guys get inside," I asked, confused. "The shield's still up?"

"Hey," Tucker replied, casually, "It's a ghost shield, not a human shield."

"Walker's overshadowing everyone around me," I rushed to tell them what was going on.

"What," Sam called surprised. "How do you know?"

"I saw him and his posse yesterday. That's the reason I activated the shield. I think he's trying to turn everyone against me."

"Danny, there's something you need to know," Sam replied. I looked at her, wondering what else. "The ghosts have disappeared."

"What," I asked, completely alarmed. I hadn't expected that at all.

"No one can explain it. They just ceased attacking one minute before midnight last night. That's the reason Sam and I came over. We wanted to make sure you were okay."

"What about the ghost," I asked them about our ally.

"Wulf," Tucker asked me. I stared at him. "The ghost that you hid away in my attic last night, his name is Wulf."

"What a name," I remarked. True, he did look like an animal with all the hair. "Well, what's going on with him?"

"Well, that collar on his neck started shocking him last night just before nine. I deactivated the collar and… he left," Tucker remarked.

"He's gone," I asked, surprised.

"Yeah," Sam replied. "Which was a good thing. Tucker's parents came in right afterward and stayed the entire night with us. They wouldn't even let me go home!"

"So, no more ghosts. That is so weird. Do you know where my parents are," I asked.

"No, I haven't seen them," Sam replied.

"Jazz is staying with the Adkins," Tucker remarked. It made sense that she would want to be with someone. With Mom, Dad and I always gone, I have to say I feel sorry for her.

"Well, I guess that's it. Maybe Walker realized what a mess he was in," I remarked. "Keep your eyes open and alert me to anything you find suspicious."

"You got it," Sam replied. Tucker broke out in a grin as he too grew excited. Why these two find pleasure in dangerous experiences I'll never know.

XXX

It was the next day and still no ghost had attacked. Sam and Tucker had spent the night with me but I hadn't seen Mom or Dad in two days. I was getting worried. I grabbed my cell phone and hit Mom's speed dial setting. I listened to the soft hum until I heard the phone click. I put the earpiece to my ear.

"Danny, honey, is that you," Mom asked as she came on the line.

"Yeah," I replied. "Where are you," I asked worriedly.

"We're in the basement, sweetheart."

"Sam, Tuck and I are coming down. We'll see you in a bit," I remarked. I disconnected the line. "Mom and Dad are in the basement!"

"All this time," Tucker replied, surprised.

"Tell me about it," I remarked. I lead my friends downstairs until I was in the lab. "Mom, Dad?"

"Over here, sweetheart," Mom called. I walked from where I was to where she had called.

"What have you guys heard about the ghosts retreating?"

"We're not sure if they have or not," Mom replied. Dad was busy working on the ghost fisher though it should have been renamed the ghost tangler. "They just vanished yesterday."

I glanced over to where the main breaker of the shield was. Wires were exposed and dangling out of the container. "I still can't believe that the shield failed yesterday," I remarked. I had checked it upstairs when I saw it fall. If I had went in the lab, I would have known where Mom and Dad were, I realized. "Damn thing!"

"Danny," Mom chided. "What is up with this cussing increase?"

I thought to myself if they knew what I had been through the past two weeks, they wouldn't question it but I just shrugged. "Sorry, I'll try to curb it."

"I don't know why you picked it up at all," Mom remarked, her voice low.

"Well, I for one say he has a right to cuss. There's nothing wrong with a few good cuss words," Tucker defended me. He had no clue as to how right he was.

"Well, I say he doesn't. Danny has an obligation to remain pure and he doesn't need to be displaying bad habits," Sam retorted.

"Yeah, like anyone will look up to me now," I replied quietly.

"Danny," Sam remarked, quietly as well. "You can't give up."

I sat down on a chair in the lab, "Why not? It's over! I can't beat them!" We were far from Mom and Dad, talking in hushed voices.

"Danny, what about our mission," Tucker asked me. I spun my chair away from their faces.

"I-I just don't have the fight in me anymore, guys. I'm done! The ghosts can have the town for all I care. I've been thinking about this for a while," I replied. I was so tired of defeating or scrapping by one thing just to face another. They don't understand. They can walk away at any time… this will follow me forever.

"Danny, if you don't do something, who will," Sam asked me, trying to apply pressure.

I tried to say I didn't care but it wasn't the truth. If I gave up and did nothing; then and only then would I truly lose. There was no second-guessing. I had to continue to protect my town and I would from the next threat.

I pushed the chair back to face them, "I'm really sorry. I don't know what's going on with me. Of course, I'll continue to protect the town. I can't just walk away…" I said. I added the next part, not intending it for their ears: "No matter how much I may want to."

I saw the way their shoulders sank and I knew I spoke too loud. I kicked my seat back to the position it was at before, this time placing my elbows on the table and propping my head on my hands. I didn't believe that Vlad could affect me this badly. I thought as soon as I was home things would return to normal but they weren't. I felt worse.

XXX

Sometime later, I heard the door to the lab tap. I walked over to the changing room, thinking it may have been Jazz but wondering why she would knock. When Jazz's signature didn't pop out at me, I walked into the changing room, leaving the door open. I stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked up. Mom Number Two stuck her head inside the doorway. "Hey, Maddie? Jack? Kids," she called down the stairs. "Are you down here?"

"Mom," Tucker asked, stepping around me. Sam and I followed him. I expanded my sensors to see if I could sense anyone else. I was suspicious.

"Where are Maddie and Jack, kids," Mom #2 asked us. No one else was in the house.

"We're right here, Alice," Mom came up behind me. I felt her hands touch my shoulder and I struggled not to jump. "What are you doing here? Are there more ghosts?"

"No, the streets have been clear all day today, too. I was just coming over so you guys could have some dinner. I cooked," Mom Number Two remarked. "Come on up."

Mom nudged me forward, causing me to bump slightly into Sam. I caught myself from slamming into her, my body language telling her to start climbing the stairs. Tucker, Sam, Mom, Dad and I walked into the kitchen and I saw how their eyes glistened. Sam turned her head in my direction: "It's a turkey," she said, letting me know what was going on. I knew she didn't find that part of the meal appetizing.

"Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah," Mom Number Two replied. I stared at the food prepared in shock. I had forgotten all about today being Christmas.

"Alice," Mom cried out in surprise. "You should have told me you were doing this!"

"Hey, you were saving our town. Let me do what I do best and I won't ask you next time to help me publish an article!"

Mom chuckled at Mom Number Two's saying. Tucker made a mad dash to the table and tried to dig in, "Tucker," I stated softly. "Wait to be invited!"

"Danny," Tucker whined. I went to stand by him, knowing how unfair this was. "If only you could smell this or get hungry again!"

"Trust me, I miss smelling a turkey as much as you think I do if not more. It looks truly appetizing," I remarked. "But you need to wait for Mom to give the go ahead."

"Oh, it is appetizing. I'll bet Sam takes a bite of this it's so good," Tucker joked. We all knew Sam wouldn't eat meat if her life depended on it.

"Very funny," Sam retorted. "It does smell good but I can't help but think of the poor turkey that had to die to give us this."

"Yeah, that's another reason not to let Mom near a turkey. It might come alive," I replied, raising my voice so Mom could hear.

"One time," Mom cried out. "One time and you can't let it go!"

"It wasn't just one time, Mom! Remember the one when I was four," I told her. That one was on Easter. I shivered. I hate Easter!

Tucker laughed, "And the one four years later was clearly no winner. While arguing, Mom and Dad ruined Easter dinner! The turkey came to live, slurring with revenge with fork and knife!"

"Can it," I barked. Why he rhymed that tale I'll never knew.

Sam and I took a seat beside Tucker as our Moms' began to serve the diner. Dad took a seat, his fork and knife at the ready.

"Hey, Mom Number Two, where's Dad," I asked. There was no reason to distinguish the difference.

"Picking up Jazz," Mom Number Two replied. I nodded my head. I looked around the room, noticing how everyone eyed the turkey hungrily. How I wished I could smell it just once.

"Are you hungry, Danny-boy," my Dad asked me.

"Yes, sir," I lied back, putting the enthusiasm in it I would have could I smell the damn thing. It seemed to work, because Dad just grinned. However, Sam and Tucker looked at me sympathetically.

By the time Mom and Mom Number Two had proportioned out the meal, Dad Number Two and Jazz walked in the room. I could hear Dad whoop out as what I imagine was the smell got to him. Jazz hummed a happy tone, "Wow, that smells wonderful!" Sam and Tucker locked eyes with me.

I shook my head, putting on a smile for my friends. True, it did hurt to know I was missing what was clearly a big part of the meal but I'd miss the rest of it too. I couldn't really taste it and I would have to fake savoring the flavor so Mom Number Two wouldn't think I didn't like it. Mom Number Two placed a plate in front of me and it did look good. I wondered what I was missing with my inability to smell.

Then a thought occurred to me. If I just wondered what Tucker was thinking or feeling, I could get that experience firsthand. I had no shame in controlling Tucker. He's my little brother… that's my job. So I concentrated on Tucker for a moment, thinking about what he was thinking about. However, the turkey wasn't what came across to me.

Tucker was apparently watching me out of the corner of his eye, careful not to let me on to his observation. He was heartbroken that I couldn't smell or taste anymore and that I may be pressured to try even harder to fake a response. It didn't take him long to catch on to my stare and I had to think of something. If I just looked away… I didn't want to think of their reaction of me being able to read minds.

Tucker turned his head, placing me in his direct sight. I took this as my cue. "Don't worry," I mouthed.

_Oh! He's well aware of my concern_, Tucker thought to himself. _Still, something is definitely wrong with him. Sam's right, he's not himself._

Bringing Sam into the conversation, I wondered what she was thinking. However, to my surprise, Tucker's connection didn't break. I heard both of my friends in my mind.

Sam was too looking at me out of the corner of her eye. However, her fear was greater than that of Tucker's. _What is wrong with him? Why won't he talk to us? What did that Vlad guy do to him? I don't know how to answer Tucker's question. I myself don't understand what is going on with him. Moody one minute, emotional the next and depressed the one after that. It's like he can't figure things out anymore. It's like's he's lost or alone! I think we need to… wait! Why is he staring at me?_

Apparently, they're better at silent observation than I am. I continued to stare at her for a few more seconds, then deliberately transferred my focus to Tucker to make it look natural. Tucker was again looking at me, but he was at a loss to what was causing my sudden behavioral change.

_Okay, you can try that on someone else, Danny Fenton, but it doesn't work on me_, Sam thought silently. I wondered if she was aware I was listening to her conversation. _He thinks he can just look away from me gradually and I not notice it. I know you too well… so why can't I figure this out?_

I breathed a sigh of relief. However, her last comment made me feel guilty. My behavior has gotten so bad that they're worried. I can't tell them the truth because that would put us all in danger but if I say nothing, I'm going to alienate them. I need to find a path down the middle. I stopped wondering what Sam and Tucker were thinking.

"Okay, everyone," Mom Number Two began, "dig in!"

By the declares of everyone at the table, I'd assume it was good. Sam ate her traditional vegetarian dinner but I caught her every once and a while stealing a glance at the turkey. Most days, I knew she had no problem devoting herself as a full vegetarian but there were days that she missed meat. After all, she wasn't always a vegetarian.

It felt awkward, but every once and a while I'd let out a moan or a compliment about the dinner. Of course, I couldn't taste a bit of it but I did know that it was cooked to perfection. Nothing was burnt or undercooked; everything was perfect. How it tasted, though, was another story.

It didn't take long before I couldn't eat another bite. I read somewhere that most people overeat because they eat too fast or are bored. With no taste buds and no appetite, it's easy for me to push a plate away. Honestly, maybe I could do it a little too easy.

I sat at the table listening to and upon occasion engaging in the conversation going on. Mostly, I just listened to my family's discussion because it seemed to focus on the ghosts. However, more than I would have liked for it to happen, someone asked me my opinion. By the end of the meal, Tucker had finished most of my dinner, without my family's knowledge of course, and we were retreating to the living room. Dad and Dad Number Two turned on the television, eager to catch a game.

Tuck, Sam and I climbed on the couch, crossing our legs on the cushions. Tucker looked absolutely full, as if I tried to even overshadow him he'd bust. Sam was her normal self, not overeating yet not starving herself. I relaxed knowing that my family was almost complete. With Brit in mind, I flipped open my phone and dialed her number. Tucker and Sam were whispering beside me, wondering once again what was up with me. I heard the sending tone.

"Hello," I heard a voice come over the line. She sounded drained and upset.

"Hey, Brit. It's Danny," I remarked. Almost immediately, it sounded as if a ton of weight lifted off her shoulders.

"Oh, thank God, Danny," Brit said, relieved. "Why haven't you called me yet? You were due back on the twentieth."

I chuckled nervously. "We've had a situation in town since then. I've been busy. It's over now," I told her so she wouldn't worry.

"I'm really sorry to hear that. I'm glad your Christmas wasn't ruined," Brit replied.

"What about yours," I replied, taking the spotlight off my situation.

"Mom went in the hospital night before last," Brit said sadly. "We just got back."

"Oh, Brit," I replied, my heart breaking. Why on Christmas?

"Hey, Mom's okay. She just contracted a bad cold and they needed to put her on some fluids. She'll be home soon," Brit tried to lighten the mood. I could tell, though, that Brit's heart was weighing heavily. "So, how did things go with Vlad," Brit said darkly. I really regretted telling her my 'nightmares' now.

"Oh, it went as good as anything with Vlad could go," I lied. However, my eyes diverted as if she could see them.

"Danny Fenton, don't you lie to me! I may not be able to see you but I can tell when you're hiding something," Brit said. Why must older sisters be so telling?

"I can't really talk about it, Brit, but I can say it wasn't a dream," I said slowly. I tried to chase the horrible images that raced through my mind but it took a while to succeed.

"Danny," Brit's voice broke. "Oh, God, no!"

"Yeah," I said slowly. "It's worse than any one of us could have imagined," I replied. I felt my voice break. "I'm sorry, Brit, but I can't talk a-about this here. We're in the living room and I don't want to tip anyone off."

"Danny, you need to tell Mom and Dad Number Two," Brit demanded.

"Brit, I can't," I said sternly. I drew Sam and Tucker's attention. "Just, I can't," I said, my voice low. Sam and Tucker were watching me closely.

"Danny, please! Mom and Dad could help," Brit said, her voice choked with tears.

"No one can help. I've got to go. Merry Christmas," I replied.

As I closed my phone, I could hear Brit's cries, "Danny! Don't hang up!"

I jumped off the couch, discreetly using my powers to lift me upward. I took off for my room, not stopping to tell anyone where I was going or anything. I heard Sam and Tucker scrambling off the couch, chasing after me. Before they made it to the door, I met them in the doorway. "Just go back downstairs, guys. I'm going to take a nap," I replied, trying my best to sound tired and not fed up. "Don't worry." Without another word, I closed the door.

I laid down flat on my bed, covering my eyes with the back of my hand. I fought the tears I felt bubbling. I hated this feeling. I wanted to go back to the way it was before I met Vlad. I wanted to feel like my old self again. The tears stung in my eyes as I continued to stubbornly hold them. Finally, the barrier broke and I couldn't hold it in anymore.

I came to my feet, hoping I could compose myself before I lost control. However, nothing seemed to work. I pushed my belongings clear across my dresser into a crumpled mess on the floor. "God damn you," I screamed out. "Why me?" I didn't want to cry anymore. Vlad wasn't here and he couldn't hurt me for this outburst.

I began tearing things up, shattering them to pieces. I tossed my thermos until it busted hard against the wall, the can falling harmlessly against the less-than-lucky wall. I shot a beam, blowing the television set up. I kicked at my bed, the post flying clear off and slamming into the brick wall. I hit the floor, my knees buckling as I began to sob uncontrollably.

"Why did you have to do it," I sobbed, laying my head on the ground. "Why couldn't you just kill me and get it over with? Why hurt me that way?"

Suddenly, my head came to rest on someone's shoulder. From the teal blue suit, I discovered it was Mom. I hadn't even heard her come in. Mom held me tight and I just couldn't stay strong anymore.

"I don't want to do this anymore, Mom," I cried. "I don't want to!"

"Shh, shh, baby. You don't have to do anything. I'm here," Mom soothed. Of course, if she knew what I was talking about, she wouldn't have said that. I don't want to live.

I continued to cry on her shoulder, knowing I'd probably be taken by Vlad. I had said too much. There was no way he'd let this go on.

I finally began to grip my surroundings, noticing how Sam, Tucker and Jazz watched in horror from the corner while Mom Number Two, Dad Number Two and my dad watched concerned as Mom consoled me to the best of her ability. I finally raised up and wiped the tears from my eyes. However, Mom wouldn't let me off the hook that easily.

"Are you ready to talk," Mom asked. Sam and Tucker looked on in shock and horror. I couldn't get a grip on what was going through their heads.

I looked to both sets of my parents, eventually locking eyes with Mom, "I can't."

"I asked it as if it were optional but it's not. It's time you tell me what's going on in your life," Mom replied.

I backed away, my moodiness exposing itself, "I can't, alright! I want to, God only knows that, but I'd be in more trouble than I'm worth!" I added the next part lowly, "I already am."

"Danny, I can't protect you or help you unless you tell me what is going off," Mom replied. Sam and Tucker nodded their heads.

"No one can and I've accepted that. Just… be a shoulder to cry on when I feel I can't take no more."

"No," Mom Number Two cut in. "I will not sit on the sidelines while you are being destroyed by this secret. I'm not entirely sure what you can't take anymore of but with the fact you're now saying you'll keep it up, I'm fearing it may be your life!"

I looked away, and Dad gasped. "Danny! Son, nothing is that bad."

I laughed out bitterly. "You have no idea what hurt is! You don't," I screamed the last part.

"Then tell us," Sam begged me, her eyes penetrating mine. I looked away.

"And what, get one of you guys in the shit I'm in or worse! He won't hurt me, he'll hurt one of you guys," I stated in anger. Then I realized what I had said. "I-I shouldn't tell you anything!"

"Who is he," Dad Number Two asked. "We can help!"

"No, you can't. I can't handle him and I don't expect any of you to interfere." I turned to Sam and Tucker, "Am I clear?"

"No," Tucker retorted. "Danny, I've known you for what seems like my entire life. You are not my best friend, you're my brother. We fight, we joke, we cry. But never have I seen you break down like you have here. I haven't seen your room like this since that incident the first of October."

I took a glance around my room. He was right there, I had wrecked the place. I finally looked back to Tuck, "I'm sorry. You know, before, I'd tell you two everything. Now… I can't tell you anything."

"Why," Sam screamed out. Her eyes shone the look of glassy eyes. I knew she was fighting tears.

"Because, I don't want to hurt you guys any more than I already have. If I hadn't lost control, you guys wouldn't be hurt at all but if I fill you in and you realize that no one can help… well, it's only going to hurt you more. I can't have that," I replied. I sat down on my broken bed, not caring that it leaned.

"What is up with this protection," Sam demanded of me.

"Because I can't protect myself," I shot back. I covered my face with my hands as soon as I said that. I stood up, quickly, "I've got to get out of here."

"Danny," Mom ordered, "Don't you leave this house!"

"I'm sorry," I called back, running out of the house. As soon as I hit the sidewalk, I transformed into my Phantom form and blasted into the air. As I flew out of sight, I saw Tucker and Sam cry my name to the sky while my parents' looked down the street in confusion.

XXX

It was dark when I walked back into my house gently. I didn't know what to expect. I tried to sneak upstairs to go to sleep, but I heard Mom's voice, "Danny, come in here, son."

I put my foot back on the floor where I was climbing the stairs and walked over to the living room. Almost all the lights were out and Mom was sitting on the couch alone. A lone table lamp illuminated the area.

"Yes, Mom," I said, quietly. I knew I had hurt her this evening.

"Alice, Maurice, Tucker and Sam are upstairs. They didn't want to leave until you were safely home," Mom informed me. I sat down beside of Mom but I didn't look at her.

"I'm sorry about earlier," I tried to apologize.

"I'm even sorrier that we didn't accomplish anything," Mom replied, cutting me off. "Can you tell me, just the two of us?"

"I-," I started to say, but stopped abruptly. "No, I can't."

"Can you tell me anything," Mom asked me. From the corner of my eye, I saw her place her hand on my leg.

I flinched, causing Mom to retreat her hand. "I wished I could. I want to tell you everything. I want to have you tell me it's going to be okay but I know if I do, nothing will ever be the same again."

"Sweetheart, do you believe that you can just go back to the way it was before as if nothing, whatever it may be, happened," Mom asked me. I could tell she was looking in my direction. "Danny, look at me!"

"I can't do that either," I whispered. A tear slipped down my cheek, "I can't take the disappointment."

"Honey," Mom said, gently taking my chin with her finger. She tried to pull my head in her direction but I held my ground. After I noticed her grow confused, I acted like I lost the battle with her strength and turned in her direction. "I am not disappointed," Mom replied, hesitant at first but finding her bearings at the end.

I looked her in the eye, the love there nearly smothering me. I felt my heart grow heavy as I knew I was going to break down again. I guess Mom saw it too, because she took me in her arms and pulled me close.

"I'm just so tired of it," I choked out. "I don't know if I can do this anymore."

"Was it Vlad," Mom asked me, still holding me to her chest. "Did he hurt you?"

I didn't want to overreact because that is a tell-tell sign that it's true. I forced myself to breathe, trying to do everything the ghost hunters camp taught us to do when asked to answer questions from other organizations. After ten beats, I spoke up, "No," I replied. "Vlad wasn't the one who hurt me it just gave me some time to think when I was with him."

Mom seemed to buy the charade. "I don't care who this guy is. I know you think you're powerless to stop him but that doesn't mean you're alone. You have a family who cares for you," Mom replied.

"I know," I replied. "Just keep doing what you're doing now. Don't ask me to tell you what's going on or who it is and help me cope so I won't do something everyone else will regret."

"Honey," Mom said, her voice choking up with tears, "Please don't hurt yourself."

I laughed softly, a hint of tears in the response. "Mom, if I do that, it will be the least painful thing of all."

I stood up from the couch and gently walked off. I didn't look back but I caught the whimpers of Mom's cries.

XXX

Morning came much too soon, but instead of waking up to a house full of people I found Sam and Tucker the only ones home. They were watching something on the television. I didn't know how to react, but I proceeded to ask anyway: "Hey, where are our Moms and Dads?

Sam and Tucker looked up to me fearfully, their eyes telling me they didn't know what to tell me. Finally, Sam spoke up, "Something's come up."

"What," I asked. Tucker turned the television down.

"There's been a town meeting called," Sam replied. "The ghosts resurfaced again after midnight."

"What," I asked, shocked. This just keeps getting weirder and weirder.

"Yeah," Tucker replied. "Mom and Dad, both of them, got called in for the meeting. They're planning on a mass expulsion."

I looked to the two of them, knowing what was so hush-hush. They wanted to know if I was going down there. I thought about not going, but my heart tugged. I couldn't give up, not so long as there was life-energy coursing through my veins. "I'm going down there," I replied. I saw how Sam and Tucker somehow managed to both tense and relax at the same time.

"Are you sure," Tucker asked me.

"No," I replied. "But the world isn't going to stop for my broken heart so neither should I."

"You don't have to do anything," Sam reminded me.

"Yeah," I asked, casually, "So why are my instincts screaming at me?"

"It's who you are," Sam answered back. Suddenly, the television volume began to grow.

"It's starting," Tucker called, the one increasing the volume.

"We only have one piece of business today," the mayor declared over the television. "To defeat the ghost vermin that infests our town. We have determined the ghost behind the recent attacks. This one." I knew I had to go now! My picture in ghost form graced the television sets of hundreds of homes.

Without saying goodbye, I leapt into the sky, turning intangible and rocketing towards town hall. I could hear the sonic boom as I passed. Before I finished phasing through the roof, I transformed into Danny Phantom.

"All those in favor of the motion, say…," the mayor asked. I'm always amazed at how fast I can travel at that speed.

"I may not be old enough to vote, but I'm casting one anyway," I interrupted. I had to stop this insanity. "I'm on your side!"

"You're not fooling anyone, ghost," Dad cried up. No, I thought to myself. Yesterday, my parents were fine because Walker had regrouped to come up with a plan. Today, though, they're once again overshadowed like they were with the kids.

"My parents may be overshadowed," I spoke softly, getting an idea, "But this beam should push the ghosts harmlessly out of them." I released the beam, preparing to see two of Walker's goons expelled from my parent's bodies. However, Mom and Dad flew backwards which meant only one thing: "Or they could not be overshadowed, and I could've totally ticked them off!"

It was definitely the latter of the two because I saw Mom pull her hood over her head and prime a weapon. Oh, shit, Fenton, you did it now! I ducked out of the way of two of her beams then took refuge below the seats so I could figure out my next game plan. I needed to let them know it was an accident but how without getting myself stripped clean?

Before I could come up with anything similar to a plan, I found myself falling through the floorboards. I landed hard on the concrete, stunned for just a minute. I looked up, seeing the mayor and all from before. It didn't take me long to realize who the mayor was being overshadowed by.

"Walker," I declared. "I should have known you'd be the one who makes the rules!"

"Shouldn't you be running," Walker asked with snide.

This time I came prepared. I pulled my thermos from my belt, "Shouldn't you?" The looks on their faces told me everything.

God do I love Mom and Dad, I thought. All but one ghost darted away. The one left behind, overshadowing Paulina, ran towards me. Determined to expel at least one ghost using energy, I shot the ghost out of her. Paulina stood dazed and confused, while the ghost floated above her head unnoticed. When the guard made a noise, Paulina looked up and shrieked. I sucked him into the thermos.

"One down, three to go," I stated, feeling my confidence building. I am not a screw up! I am powerful!

"You saved me," Paulina asked me, stunned. "So that means you're a friendly ghost."

Well, this is good news. If I have the Queen of the A-List on my side, it can't all be bad. "Yeah, with some friendly advice," I commented, not wanting her to get hurt. However, I noticed behind her, Kwan and Mr. Lancer both flying towards us. Back to work. "Run!"

Paulina shrieked again but ducked out of the way, narrowly escaping the path of Kwan and Lancer. The two of them split up, coming at me from both sides. I learned a lot in the past two weeks. I powered up both hands with ecto-energy, focusing on keeping them equal. I nearly lost the balance, but fought to keep it, screaming as it tore me apart. Kwan and Lancer stumbled back in shock.

I looked up to my classmate and teacher to find them staring stupidly at their surroundings. Then they noticed each other, screaming but when their eyes lay upon me, they screamed in horror. Stunned, I focused on my task at hand. "Where's the thermos," I asked as Kwan and Lancer scrambled away. However, something sounded and the two guards spiraled away. I looked up, happy for the intervention, until I noticed whom it was.

Mommy, I thought terrifyingly. I mean, Mom! She had the portable ghost portal and she marked the two ghosts she blasted back to the Ghost Zone. Mom then centered the gun on me! Oh, crap. Before I could collect my thoughts, someone pulled me in another direction. I looked up from my location on my back to see my principal and Dash.

"Looking for this," Principal Ishyama asked me, mockingly. She pointed my thermos directly at me. Oh, crap!

The thermos powered up and I was sure I was done for when my principal and Dash were knocked down. Behind where they were, Wulf stood, battle-ready. Wulf spoke something in his language as Dash's ghost demanded what Wulf was doing. "Friend," Wulf said in English. I smiled up at the ghost. Let's do this!

I came to my feet, watching as Wulf jumped on Dash and Principal Ishyama and retrieved the ghosts. A guard and Bullet stumbled back, the sudden termination of the overshadow command disarraying. Suddenly, a swirling vortex wisped the guard away. Next, Bullet began to collapse inside himself from the center of his being. Serves you right!

Before I could come to terms with where to go next, I was now flying through the air. I looked below me to see the mayor flying me towards the ceiling. "What are you doing," I demanded.

"There are more types of prisons, kid," Walker's voice said mysteriously.

Suddenly, he forced me to hang around his neck and held my right hand in his. He carried me outside, the stun overpowering. Cameras began clicking as I realized what was going off. I fought back, but Walker cried out in the mayor's voice: "Help! Help me!" Then we backed back into the meeting hall. I found my bearings, pulling away from him. I noticed Wulf stood behind us. I let him handle this one.

Walker was stunned as Wulf pulled him from the mayor's body. I caught the mayor before he slammed into the bleachers and gently placed him on the ground. Then I heard Mom again: "Keep your hands off our duly elected public official, you…" I lost track of what she was saying as she continued on. Jeez, Mom, I get it, you're pissed. However, as she took aim at me, Wulf dragged Walker and himself in front of me.

"Wulf, no," I cried. Mom had intended that for me!

"Friend," Wulf cried out, but not in fear. "We'll meet again."

"And so will we, punk. Feared on Earth and wanted in the Ghost Zone! You've lost, ghost kid, lost," Walker yelled triumphant. I stared at the closed wormhole, stunned. He was right.

I heard a whining sound at the side of my head. "I hereby sentence you back from whence you came," Mom declared, ready to fire. I looked at the gun from the corner of my eye, wondering where the hell she came from. "Oh, man, I so need to start paying better attention in these fights."

However, instead of a painful pulling, the gun fizzled out. Mom removed a note. "Dear Maddie, forgot to charge Fenton bazooka. P.S. can I have a cookie!"

"And with that, I bid you a fond farewell," I called out, lifting into the air.

I heard Mom call from behind me, "You haven't seen the last of me."

I couldn't help myself, "Duh, I'll see you at dinner!" I knew one thing. When I got home, Dad wouldn't just get a cookie, he'd get a pound of fudge.

**AN: Chapter companions available at fan fiction dot net slash my forums slash Team 04 Phantom slash 3876657. Thank you to all my reviewers and their lovely feedback. I would love to hear from you. Any feedback is welcomed. Thank you, again.**

**Team04Phantom**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom, Public Enemies, Charmed, or Maternal Instincts.**

**AN: This story contains rape and male sex. If this disturbs you, please do not read.**

**Chapter Seven: Tribulation**

Things were really weird when Mom and Dad returned home. Mom was absolutely furious at Dad for not charging the bazooka and not only denied him a cookie, nearly took his fudge I gave him. Sam and Tucker were incredibly worried about me but I told them I was fine. I wanted to put all this behind me. However, the next morning came the biggest surprise.

I picked up my bowl of Apple Jacks and sat down at the table facing the TV in the kitchen. I flipped on the small appliance, and waited patiently for the six o'clock news to begin. Mom and Dad were still asleep and I think Jazz went back to Jessica's. Sam, Tucker, and his parents went home last night so I was the only one up.

"Good morning," the reporter came over the television, the dramatic music blaring. "It's Sunday, December 26, 2004. I'm Brett Turner and this is your local news. Morning crews are still cleaning up after an early morning accident on Highway 16. One motorist was treated for injuries on site while another was transported to a local hospital for minor injuries. The State Police is investigating the cause of the accident. Reactions from around town to last week's shocking exposure. You'll hear from Mayor Montez himself, and only on WHOO. Now, on to Lance Thunder with your weather. Lance?"

I watched the entire program but nobody said anything about the mayor's 'kidnapping'. Even when the mayor himself came on the program, he never mentioned anything about an attack. When the program finally went off, I ran to the door to grab the paper. On the front was an image of my alter ego holding the mayor 'hostage.' What's going on here?

It was a trick and I wouldn't have minded them ignoring it but my name wasn't cleared. I was the prime suspect in all the attacks. I had become Public Ghost Enemy Number One! Normally, I wouldn't care about other's perceptions but this image would only harm my mission to protect my town. I won't ask for help but I certainly won't ask for more difficulties. Things were definitely changing, and not for the good, I was afraid.

I finished my cereal, washing my bowl out and exiting the kitchen. It wasn't yet seven o'clock so I couldn't call Tucker or Sam so I decided to go check out some other headlines. I left a note for my parents in case they woke up then went down to the newsstands. I enjoyed the brisk walk, feeling the bitter wind brush against my bear arms. I knew it was colder outside than the ghost in me replied. However, I was very tolerant of the weather now.

I got a few strange looks as I scanned the newsstands but I ignored the citizens dressed up like Eskimos. Every paper on the display completely ignored the incident with the mayor last night. I didn't even see Dad Number Two's paper, The Amity Park Angle, on display. However, after scanning a few I found the pile that is usually reserved for Dad's paper with another stack.

I walked up to the salesclerk, "Excuse me, had The Amity Park Angle not run this morning?"

The man was taken aback by my casual attitude with the weather but then he added, "No! They're not running this morning."

"Buddy," I said, my voice rising, "that paper is run by my best friend's dad! My house is a subscriber. He had an issue this morning. Now, display those papers or I will have Commissioner Sanchez down here for a violation of the constitution."

The man looked unfazed, probably not from this town originally. In fact, he may not be from the town at all. The newsstands were closer to Clearmont than they were to Amity Park. I picked up my cell phone and dialed the police station number by heart. After a moment, a voice came across the line: "Amity Park Police Department. This is Anne, how may I help you."

"Anne, it's Danny. Is Sanchez in yet," I asked the receptionist.

"Hello, Danny. What are you doing up so early the morning after Christmas," Anne asked me.

I chuckled, "Well, it's been a long week that's for sure but I really need to talk to him or the deputy in charge if he's not available."

"Of course," Anne replied. "Anything for you, Doll. Transfer."

"This is Captain Holliday, how may I help you," Norris answered. I chuckled, this guy is actually a ghost hunter.

"Norris, old boy, when did you get promoted to captain," I asked.

"Radar," Norris asked, surprised. "When the other yellow belly's ran off. There were a lot of positions available for those with the stomach to take it."

"And you've got the stomach of twelve men," I chuckled. "We've got an issue over here at the newsstands. Could you assist me?"

"Why not handle it yourself. You know you have more authority than any one of us on the force, Special Agent," Norris reminded me.

"Yeah, well I prefer to keep that part of my life private at home. I've got a bit of a subordinate reputation around here," I replied.

"Ha," Norris laughed out loud. "You could make Dash Baxter a fly and you the spider if you wanted to."

I laughed along with him, "You have no idea how right you are."

"Well, I'll come down and assist my superior officer," Norris let me know just how ridiculous it really was. However, I liked it this way.

"Yeah, well as your superior officer, I order you to do that," I chuckled back lightheartedly.

"We'll be right there, Radar. I'll send any patrols in the area your way," Norris answered.

"Thanks," I replied, then added, teasingly, "Captain Holliday."

"Always a pleasure, Special Agent Radar," Norris stated. I laughed; my nickname and my formal title contrast loudly.

"Goodbye, Norris," I ended our conversation.

"Goodbye, Radar," Norris also concluded, hanging up the receiver.

Within a few minutes, a cop showed up. At first, the cop was reluctant to listen to me, not quite sure if I knew what I was talking about. But I finally convinced him I knew what I was talking about and the policeman asked the vender to allow him to search his shop. When the vender refused, I knew what to do.

I pulled out my phone again and called another familiar number. But when this person answered, it was my office in Washington, DC (it was after seven there). I asked her to look up the director of news publishing and she paged me through. That number I didn't know so well but I knew Carrie would be able to find it for me easily. I thought having a secretary in D.C. was ridiculous but now it's paid off.

The director of publishing's answered her phone groggily but as soon as I let her know I was from Homeland Security, Division "G" she shaped up quickly. I asked her if she had jurisdiction over all newsstands and she said she did with probable cause. I gave her my permission to list probable cause as National Security and we received clearance to search the premises. When Norris arrived on scene, we had discovered boxes of the Amity Park Angle hidden away.

As Norris placed the vendor's hands behind his back, he replied, "You are an idiot for messing with that kid, man. If I wanted to experience what it's like to anger him, I'd just jump off a building and save myself the humiliation."

Time had quickly accelerated and now it was past eight. I headed home, this time taking invisibly to the skies. I landed at my house but my parents were waiting for me.

"Daniel James Fenton-Foley-Calloway," Mom called, angry. Oh boy, the three last names! I'm in trouble.

"Yes, ma'am," I asked innocently.

"I appreciate the note but next time you leave this house with no one awake, I will personally skin you alive and not wait for some ghost to do it for me," Mom overreacted.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous," I brushed it off. "I was fine. I just wanted to do a little investigating."

Mom heard the word and her mind immediately went to the worst-case scenario, "You didn't attempt to find any ghosts, did you?"

"No," I put her fears at ease. "It's the news that I'm investigating. Do you know that no one besides Dad's paper has reported the mayoral attack."

"Do what," Mom asked, in shock.

"Yeah," I answered. Dad was dazed on the couch, looking like he may just die right there from sleepiness. "Dad, why don't you go lay down. I'll keep Mom calm."

"I-I'm fine," Dad said, letting out a loud yawn, "son!" Yeah, right. He looked like he was about to fall asleep right there.

"Anyway," I returned about the news. "I turned on the news this morning and Channel 44 had an interview with Montez himself. He never once mentioned it. That's the reason I went to the newsstands. I wanted to check all the papers at one place. They hid Dad's paper!"

"And that's the reason you were so late returning," Mom got it loud and clear. "Anyone messes with that constitution and you're like a wolf on a rabbit."

"Something like that," I nodded my head up and down.

Mom looked at me for a long while, then she finally got the courage up, "Are you okay?"

I took a deep breath, trying to reduce the images flying through my head. "If I don't think about it I'm okay. With my hands busy, I could actually forget about it for a while but when I have idle hands, I tend to dwell on… my situation."

"I wish you'd tell me what is going on with you," Mom replied, fighting her own battle of the tears.

I glanced up to look her in the eyes, stating slowly, "So do I. If he'd let me just tell you guys and I promised not to fight… I'd jump for it. I need you guys…" I said. I was showing a vulnerable spot here.

"And you have us, sweetheart," Mom replied. "I just wish you'd forget this man's stupid rules and tell me what is going off with you. I'm scared."

"And that's the reason I won't ignore his rules. I've done it too many times before and every time I get hurt. I can't risk there never being a break. I can't risk him taking me from you guys," I answered as truthful as I could.

"He's threatening to kidnap you," Mom asked in shock and anger.

"He doesn't call it kidnapping," I answered slowly. I was so close. Just spill it. He's raping me! He owns me! Just say it. "To him, I have no life and I'm worthless."

Mom crossed the room to place a hand on my shoulder. I shivered again, "Danny, I want you to know that you are not worthless. You are a special little boy and you will always be the most important thing in my life."

I closed my eyes, tears streaking down my check. Mom wiped them away but her hand never stayed in contact for more than a few seconds. "I love you, Mom. Know that, no matter what happens."

"This is not goodbye," Mom said sternly. "He will not touch my cub and my cub won't hurt himself!"

"Just remember that, always," I said, wiping more tears away. "Remember me."

Mom began crying and she pulled me close. I was at my rope's end and I was ready to just cut it loose and see what happens from here, a thousand miles from the ground. I stood up, walking away from the living room and upstairs. I laid down on my bed, allowing the tears to soothe me to sleep.

I came screaming awake, sweat pouring off my forehead like buckets. I tried to breathe, telling myself it was only a nightmare but I knew better than that. It was real, but I had already lived it. Mom, Dad, Sam, Tuck, Mom Number Two and Dad Number Two were watching me worriedly. I sucked in air, trying to calm myself down but it did little to calm my erratic heartbeat. I pulled my knees up to my torso and held them there.

"Sweetheart," Mom Number Two asked me, worriedly.

"I'll be fine," I replied though it was a lie. I'd never be the same again.

"We're here," Dad answered. I nodded my head.

"Would you guys mind giving us a few minutes," Sam asked, quietly.

"It won't make any difference," I answered back. "It isn't about that, Sam. I can't answer no matter who it is."

"Then damnit, Danny, what is the problem," Tucker asked angrily.

"Do you think if I could answer that, I wouldn't have already," I screamed. I took another breath, trying to compose myself. "I can't tell anyone if I want to stay here."

"Do you honestly believe we'd let anyone get close to you," Sam asked, coming to sit on the end of my bed.

"I believe that you'd try to protect us all then all it'd get you is death," I answered truthfully. "If it were my life I'd be taking in my hands, I'd already spilled the beans. But it's not. He told me, 'it's not you I'll hurt it's your family and your friends.' I won't take that chance."

"And we won't allow you to get hurt," Tucker replied.

"Nothing can stop that except maybe killing me," I replied. Honestly, I wondered if that'd work. "If I defied him or denied him or disrespected him, he'd just kill all of you and take me away where my hell would never end. Would you want that for me?"

"It wouldn't get that bad," Mom replied.

"It's already that bad," I whispered. "I fought at first. I told him that I'd give him hell. It took him no more than a few hours to have me begging. Before, I'd defy him at every chance I got, now, I beg for mercy."

Mom Number Two's eyes welled up, "Please, just tell us."

I scooted off my bed, "I can't." I walked out of the room and downstairs. Once in the basement, I began training on the program. I could hear my family behind me, so I did nothing flashy. When I came upon the boxing regimen, I found peace in the ring. I hit that bag so hard that it split within 30 minutes.

I looked at the clock and it was almost lunchtime. I knew Sam and Tucker must be hungry so I went into the showers and got cleaned up. I exited, "Are you guys ready for lunch?"

"I guess," Sam replied. I knew she was worried.

"Then let's go," I remarked. "Oh, and Dad Number Two, good job on reporting the news the way it happened."

"That's what I'm here for," Dad Number Two replied, his jaw clenching.

"They asked you to take part in the cover-up, too, didn't they," I asked, seeing his change.

"Don't worry about that," Dad Number Two brushed it away. "Just focus on finding that inner strength."

"I know where it is," I replied. "He stole it." I walked off, heading in the direction of the Nasty Burger. Please, God, don't let me reveal too much and if I do, don't let them put the pieces together.

When we made it to the Nasty Burger, the entire place was packed. I couldn't believe how many were there. I thought it was full on the second day of the ghost invasion. This makes that look small. Patrons spilled out into the yard, even in late December. Sam, Tuck and I got our orders and found a seat, even though it was outside. Sam and Tucker wore heavy coats but I sat in just my normal clothes.

"Aren't you cold at all," Tucker asked me, avoiding his soda at all costs.

"No," I replied. "I lost all those things."

"I don't understand why you can't taste, smell or feel cold," Sam asked. I knew where this was going. It was more than just that.

"Don't worry about it," I said, taking a large drink of my coke. Tucker shivered, opting to take a big bite of his burger.

"That's what you keep saying but it's contradictive. What you are saying is something to worry about! Is this guy a ghost," Sam asked me. I looked at her through my eyelashes. It wouldn't hurt to give her that much.

"Yeah," I answered slowly. "It's a ghost I met alone. You don't know him."

"What is he doing to you," Tucker asked.

"Can't tell you that," I answered back, eating a fry.

"Just give us a glimpse. I've thought of every possible scenario and nothing pops into mind," Tucker asked me. It's better that way.

"Do you want to know what's happening to me and be powerless to stop it or do you want to support me but just go on a little faith," I asked.

"Neither," Sam retorted, "I want to find this bastard and kill him!"

"Well, that isn't an option," I replied, taking another drink.

"Dude, stop that," Tucker cried. I laughed.

"Tucker," Sam scolded. "Danny, please. Let us help."

I coughed, knowing if I continued this, it'd never end. "Well, I've been named public ghost enemy number one. No one recognizes the attack on the mayor, save Dad's paper, but I'm still responsible."

Sam pulled out of her spider backpack the paper from today. In the headline was the mayor and I but the image was from so far away it was almost impossible to read my surprised expression. The only thing visible was the body language: the mayor was pleading and I was rigid. It looked plausible.

"So even with everyone thinking you're a bad ghost, you're still going to play the hero," Sam asked me, beginning to read the article.

I glanced up, noticing Kwan wearing lunch. "Well, yeah. Someone has to. If not me, then who?"

Tucker groaned, watching the doofuses that were our 'leaders'. "Oh, man, if you thought it was hard to find a place to go ghost before!"

"Yeah," I trailed off. I got a glimpse of that at the first town meeting back on the twenty-first. "But it's not like I can ignore a cry for help," I said, going for another drink.

Suddenly, as if right on cue, a cry for help came to my ears. Sam and I turned around to see Mr. Lancer running for his life. Behind him, my parents chased after him screaming ghost. "Except maybe that one."

We three chuckled, knowing I wouldn't go anywhere near my parents in my ghost form. I stood up and chased after my parents. Finally, I caught up to Mom: "Check the scanners, Mom! He's not a ghost."

Mom looked at the scanners, "Jack! He's right!"

I groaned, why me? Why are my parents the most brilliant scientists but the dumbest parents at the same time? They can invent things that most call impossible or science fiction but to have an ounce of common sense between them is out of the question. But I love them!

I walked back to my friends, listening silently as Mom and Dad tried desperately to explain how sorry they were. I sat down, placing my head in my hands.

"Oh, cheer up, Danny," Sam smiled. "It won't be long before you'll be eighteen."

I laughed out bitterly, "Yeah. Well, I think I may never reach eighteen."

"Are you talking about," Tucker asked, trailing off.

"No," I said, lifting my head. "I mean the half ghost thing."

"Oh," Tucker said, pursing his lips together.

"Oh, yeah," I said, returning to my former position. "Let's not forget that doozie."

"Yeah," Sam remarked, quietly.

After a moment to calm my nerves, I spoke up, "So, you guys want to go back to my place and play some games… or maybe to Sam's."

"I don't really want to," Tucker groaned. "Sam can't play along."

"Well, anyone got any ideas," I asked. I wanted to hang with my friends and I didn't really care what I did as long as I was with them.

Sam stood up, bringing her into my focus, "Come on, we'll think of something."

When nighttime fell, Sam and Tucker went home and I had a piece of business to tend to. As soon as I was sure Mom, Dad or Jazz wouldn't come in my room, I transformed and flew to the mayors mansion. I made the motion of breathing, trying to calm myself down. Of course, it did nothing but remind me the mayor is going to freak when he sees me. I walked towards the door, focusing on pushing an object from this world. When my finger came into contact with the object, the doorbell rang.

I heard ruffling inside the home and soon the door opened. The mayor had on a housecoat and some house shoes. "This had better… eh," the mayor said, trailing off.

"Have a minute," I asked him, point blankly.

"Gh-," He began to cry out. I focused on touching something else from this realm, clasping my hand over his mouth to muffle his scream.

"I'm not going to hurt you," I said quickly. "I just want to talk."

"But you're evil," he declared. I rolled my eyes.

"And you're a public official. So you are, too," I retorted. "I'm not going to hurt you and when we're done I'll leave here like I was never here. Please, take a moment."

"What do you want," the mayor asked, suspicion in his eyes.

"What do you think I want," I demanded. "You haven't cleared the air here and people are beginning to blame me!"

"Hey, you attacked us first," the mayor retorted.

"That's not true and you know it! Someone else fired the first shot, you guys fired back and I just got shot! And I want to know why you haven't made a public announcement about being overshadowed!"

"What," the mayor asked.

I rolled my eyes, "Oh, for goodness sakes! Possessed. You probably don't even remember the attack. Why won't you say that I didn't start this?"

"I don't know what you are talking about," the mayor lied through his teeth.

I growled, "Look, I said I wouldn't hurt you but with my anger right now that is starting to look like a bad promise to make. Speak!"

"Don't make me call for backup," the mayor threatened.

"How long would it take you to get someone over here," I asked, my voice soft.

"A few minutes," the mayor said proudly. Not bad but I can beat you.

I pointed my hand at a glass way off in the kitchen, "Watch the birdie," I trilled, firing a shot. The glass blew up but nothing else. "Want to rethink that?"

The mayor's back went straight as a board with fear. "Look, my advisors have warned me that being… what'd you call it," he began.

"Overshadowed."

"Yes, overshadowed. Well, they say if I am known as one of these overshadowed people then it would look bad on my record. They told me that I wouldn't have their backing if I balked!"

"Wait a minute," I said, looking him in the eye, "The A-List said this?"

"No," the mayor retorted. I looked at him, which was honestly just one in confusion but he reacted badly. "I mean not the school club. Why would they have any impact on my election results?"

"Because they run this town," I stated, my voice frank.

"No children run an entire town," the mayor remarked dryly. "I run this town."

"Paulina Sanchez selected you to represent the A-List. Without them, you're going nowhere," I answered.

"Look, you're wrong. No bunch of kids run this town, I do. I need votes and the voters want a strong leader. If you take the fall, who cares? You're just a ghost!"

"Yeah, and the next time your ass is in the fire I may remember this. You may not believe it… hell, no one may believe it but I have been on this town's side for a long time. I will protect it for the rest of my…" I trailed off, trying to think of something a ghost would say here "afterlife! And the next time you find yourself in a sticky situation and something or someone saves you; remember that that someone is just a ghost!"

I turned intangible and blasted out of the mayor's home, the wind knocking him over. My anger took up most of my being, completely debilitating me. I turned invisible and began to fly at a slower pace. Once I was back to normal, well as normal as I have been lately, I returned home. My parents seemed none the wiser.

It was 11:55 pm on New Year's Eve, and my entire family was over at my house. Sam had escaped a Manson Family party and came to hang with us while us Fenton's and the Foley's were celebrating the new year. The past week had been turbulent but I had managed them, actually reducing the meltdowns to three a day. I had decreased the moodiness and the depression on the surface but inside I still felt trapped. I hadn't seen Vlad since he returned me home but every day that passed, it reminded me I was one more closer to seeing him again.

Sam brought me a glass of eggnog over, hers some kind of vegan style. Tucker was weary of drinking his even though he does it every year. Sam leaned in closer to my ear, "Hey, Danny. You wanna try something?"

I looked to her, thinking of all the possible scenarios: kissing her at the stroke of midnight, finding us below a stalk of mistletoe. A guy could dream, couldn't he? However, she pulled a small bottle from her pocket. "My parents keep dozens of them at my house and I go through one every once and a while. Do you wanna try?" Sam had a mini-bar bottle of Jack Daniels' whiskey. I nearly fell down I was so shocked.

"Sam," I said, surprised. "Of all the people I was cautious of, you were never one of them."

"It's only occasional. I don't even drink three a year," Sam replied. The bottle couldn't have been six ounces. Why not?

Sam opened the bottle and poured a few splashes inside mine then into her own cup. "What about Tucker?"

"He don't remember the first one he had," Sam giggled. "He can't hold his liquor!"

"Well, bottom's up," I said, holding my cup to the sky. As the clock struck midnight, I turned the cup up and downed it. I couldn't even taste it. Sam swayed, clearly shaken.

"Shoo," Sam said quietly. "That gets me all the time. What about you, Danny?"

"It must be another ghost immunity," I said, disappointed.

"Sorry," Sam whispered. The rest of the room was celebrating. I for one, felt like mourning. All this means is another hell of a year to go through.

"Here's to this one being better than the last quarter," I remarked drily. I finished my cup.

Sam looked at me for a long while, before turning her cup up and downing it as well. I went and took a seat, not in the mood for partying.

"Honey," Mom asked me, walking towards me. "Is something wrong?"

Nothing more than normal, I thought. "No, just not felling like there's much to celebrate."

"Well, the prospect of a new year is always worth celebrating," Mom remarked. I thought to myself, not with the luck that I have. The last four days have actually been nice and I know that with the New Year, it'll return to the same old, same old.

Before I would have liked, with Monday school returned. Dash had actually forgotten about the limo on the last day of school. Actually, I had too until I saw him today. I can't blame anyone for forgetting, though, with what all has happened in these past weeks. With the return of school, I knew that the ghost attacks would pick up. Casper High was also a popular hangout for ghosts during their 'lunch breaks.' The only difference would be now, the students would know what the monsters were.

The bell ringed, signaling the beginning of the day. Sam, Tucker and I walked together to our first period. Crowds were still buzzing with talk about the ghost attacks but I tried to ignore them. What I couldn't ignore were the smells. I resisted the urge to gag, the smells threatening to debilitate me. I didn't need this distraction. I was actually going to try to focus on working hard in school in the New Year. Vlad had definitely taken an interest in my studies so that means I should give him reasons to drop it.

I lead my friends into our first period class, taking my seat and dropping my book bag. A name was written on the board that I didn't recognize. As class-intermission came to a close, more and more students began to file into the room. I noticed that the four royalties, Dash, Paulina, Kwan, and Star were absent though I'd seen Dash in the hallway. Finally, the bell signaled the beginning of first period.

A tall but frail woman entered the classroom, her hair fashioned in an outdated style. She had large-rimmed glasses and she wore a dress that went well below her knees. "Good morning, class. My name is Mrs. Harold and I will be your teacher for the remainder of the semester."

I blinked, surprised. What had happened to Mr. Highman. He was our teacher for science. A few students began to chat in a startled manner and more smells assaulted my nose. I gasped and coughed a few times from the smell as the substitute raised her voice, "Students, let's all act as adults here. Mr. Highman has left due to personal reasons and I will be resuming his lessons. I will continue the same lesson plans that Mr. Highman mapped out but we must all remember to act appropriately."

I knew what she was talking about. Sam and Tucker looked at me worriedly so I sunk in my chair, completely devastated. The personal reasons she was referring to was the ghosts. He couldn't handle it. I had failed to keep them secret and now one of my favorite teachers had fled. I couldn't help but wonder, would this be a common occurrence?

The entire period was wrecked. No one wanted to listen to the new teacher and because Dash and his crew were nowhere to be found, there was no order. When the bell rang and ended first period, I was relieved. I exited the classroom, taking one glance back at the room where I had spent countless hours discussing the heavens and it's celestial bodies. Mr. Highman and I had a shared passion: space. Even before I was a high schooler, I spent hours in his room.

"Are you okay," Sam asked me, quietly. Everyone knew how much I admired and respected Mr. Highman.

"It's my fault," I spoke quietly. "I've failed everyone here."

"Don't be ridiculous," Sam remarked, continuing to walk beside me.

"Just think of it this way, D, you at least kept it at bay for four months," Tucker remarked, staring at his PDA.

"It was only three months," I corrected, walking in large strides from my frustration. "The ghosts didn't come out until September."

"Early September," Tucker remarked, lifting a finger from his gadget's side but not taking his eyes off it.

"Still, it's not the seventeenth yet," I reminded him. "So technically, it's only been three months."

"Which is still an achievement if you ask me," Sam replied, trying to keep up with my strides. Tucker had either not noticed or gave up trying because he had fallen behind.

"Well it's not to me," I remarked, my voice going high. "Ghost hunters have kept this silenced for over a hundred years. I can't keep it for three months!"

"Other ghost hunters weren't dealing with a steady flow of ghosts," Sam tried again.

I groaned out, "Yeah, and they also aren't half ghost. I should have an advantage!"

"You do," Sam cried out. "But you won't ask for any help. If we were…"

"Don't," I cut her off. "You two aren't becoming half ghost too!"

"Whoa," Tucker cried out. I heard loud clomping coming from behind until Tucker was beside me. "When we'd start talking about that?"

"Never," I retorted. "It isn't happening!"

"Well, you want to be better, don't you," Sam asked, as if she could talk me into destroying their futures.

"Yes, but it doesn't include turning you two," I replied, desperate for them to understand.

"Why not," Tucker asked.

"And how do you know," Sam cornered me.

"Oh, come on, guys. Believe me, it's not as glamorous as it seems. I'd go back in a heartbeat if I had the chance."

"Not this again," Sam groaned.

"Discussion over," I cut her off. I didn't want to hear how I should just accept what cards life had dealt me. I'd play them but that doesn't mean I'd return the four fucking jokers I'd been dealt for a house of aces in a heartbeat. Honestly, any hand would be better.

XXX

It was now third period, our math teacher still sticking it out with us. Mr. Fuluka was droning on and on about something that couldn't have been English when a chill came over me. I came fully awake, knowing what was about to happen. The ghost sense formed in my throat and I gasped as it was forced from my mouth. I guess I'm back on the clock.

I raised my hand, but Mr. Fuluka faced the other way and was caught up in his lesson. As the seconds passed, I knew we were closer and closer to a ghost attack. I looked around me, noticing how the other students were engaged in their own affairs. I gently lowered my hand as to not attract attention to myself. I looked to Sam and Tucker, one to each hand. Sam nodded, being the one I looked to first then Tucker nodded his understanding.

I came to my feet carefully, backing away from my desk that was located in the rear of the classroom. Once I was fully in the back, I turned invisible and fazed through the floor. I reemerged in the classroom next to my third period classroom, which was currently empty. I triggered my rings, instantly transforming into my ghost form.

I took to the air, and floated out of the classroom, passing through the door. I scanned the hallway, looking for whatever had triggered my sense so this could be over. If I was lucky, and that's a big if, I'd be able to slip back into the classroom without anyone noticing besides Sam and Tucker. I turned the corner, scanning the halls, when I felt the signature. The signature was small, so I almost decided to let it be. However, I knew that when I signed up for this I decided to deal with the powerful and the insignificant. It was probably Box Ghost again.

Chicken invaded my nose but this time, it wasn't pleasant. I tried to gasp but being in my ghost form, I had no air or lungs for that matter to gasp with. "Ghost," someone shrieked. I couldn't see them anywhere but it was definitely a girl. What was anyone doing in the hallway anyway? Well, I guess that explains the smell.

I heard footfalls, the girl must likely running, and then I heard her shrieks. An upperclassman came running around the corner and ran right through me. I lifted myself higher, slightly surprised by the intrusion. The girl screamed louder, now seeing me. I spun around, feeling the energy come within close range. My ghost sense went off again.

"Well, well, well," I heard a gruff voice chuckle. "Isn't it my favorite whelp?"

I gulped. "Skulker," I said, in shock.

"Surprised," Skulker stated mockingly. "I will have your pelt on my wall now, ghost boy!"

"Again, ew," I declared, powering up my ecto-energy. I heard the girl screaming louder, running for her life. The smell disappeared with her. We were alone now. I shot the beam.

My direct attack stunned Skulker and the beam slammed into the middle of his armor, throwing him backward. Tucker, where are you, I thought to myself. I powered up another blast and shot it at one of his cannons that armed itself. The cannon glowed green, absorbing the blast. Crap!

"Thank you, ghost child, for powering my cannon for me," Skulker said as a light flashed from the cannon. Before I could locate the blast, I was hurled backwards. Not wanting to leave the site, I focused on touching an object from this world, slamming into the lockers.

I grunted as I came to my feet and decided I shouldn't fire any blasts until I'm absolutely sure it was safe to do so. I flew straight at Skulker, hitting him like a rocket. Skulker turned intangible and slipped through my attack. I flipped over, landing on my feet and sought his energy out. I could feel it but it was so low that I had trouble following it. "Come on, Skulker, come out and face me like a man!"

I felt a blinding pain hit me from the side, throwing me through a wall. "I'm not a man, whelp, so I'm not bound by the same rules as one."

I floated back to the battle site, desperately searching the grounds for the metallic ghost. I was way in over my head here and if I didn't get some help soon, I just may turn into a bearskin rug. I shot a blast at a random signature but nothing happened. With all the leftover signatures from those who have passed on before and the unfinished business ghosts, it was difficult at times to determine if there was in fact a ghost there or just an echo.

"What's the matter, whelp, can't shoot what you can't see," Skulker teased me. I spun around, trying to at least determine what direction he was in. "Not so big now, are you," Skulker continued his taunting. He was going in circles, I determined! That's the reason there were so many signatures.

"So, what kind of men are there on your planet," I asked, focusing on where I was sensing the signatures. Maybe I could produce a pattern.

"Why do you care," Skulker asked me, moving to my left. I turned in that direction.

"I was just wondering if you had backbones or were all your species spineless cowards!"

"Most of us were spineless cowards," Skulker remarked. He was now in front of me. I turned to my right to throw him off.

"And you," I asked, waiting for his response.

A smile filled his voice with amusement. "I hunted things with less skill and brain development for sport, not food. What do you think," Skulker asked. I got it!

I blasted a powerful shot, the blast exploding in thin air. I heard Skulker cry out in surprise, the invisibility failing. "Now, you're not so big are you!" I began to rocket blasts at him, taking off his cannons first, then his arms. Finally, I put my hands together and shot his bucket head off.

I walked over to the disembodied head and kicked it to the side. Skulker's small form rolled out, his eyes going around his head in a daze. I pulled my thermos from my belt, sucking him inside. "You're going to be having a timeout for this." I smiled victorious. My first self-reliance-only defeat of Skulker!

I picked up Skulker's head and gently floated over to the rest of his body to collect it as well. Once I had his entire suit in my possession, I phased out of the school to deliver it to my house. I knew Tucker would want to learn as much as he could about the new suit. And if Vlad had furnished it, I knew I certainly would too.

Within five minutes, I returned to just outside my classroom. I powered down in the same classroom as I powered up in and stuck my head invisibly in the room. I noticed that the lesson was still going on. I floated into the classroom, still invisible, stopping at Sam. I whispered quietly into her ear: "Has he caught on?"

Stupid, I thought as Sam gasped in fear. I hadn't given her any warning before speaking to her and while she may be one of the bravest persons I've ever known, her friend's disembodied voice still causes her heart to race. Sam apologized for the disturbance while the others chuckled at her expense. However, it was me who paid the most.

"Oh, my," Mr. Fuluka cried out. "Where is Mr. Fenton?" I smacked my forehead, realizing I had screwed up a perfect escape. I hurried out of the classroom, my hopes of slipping back in dashed.

I wanted to just stay away for the rest of the period and go about my day as if I just harmlessly skipped. However, I knew I had to face my crimes and go back inside. I had returned to that camper when I escaped to eat. I could face my teacher who would do far less to me.

I took a shaky breath outside the door, and prepared to go back inside now that I was visible. Come on, Fenton, I thought, get a grip on yourself! He'll assign you detention or most severely call Mom and Dad but that's the most he'll do. Vlad caused you to have four sensations at the same time, two painful and two pleasuring. You can do this!

I gently opened the door and snuck inside the classroom. I gently closed the door, careful not to call attention to myself. I may already know I'm busted but I'm supposed to have no way of knowing this information. I sneaked along the back wall, approaching my desk closer and closer. As I was about to slide in my desk, I noticed Mr. Fuluka's eyes fall on me. "Nice of you to rejoin us, Mr. Fenton?"

I looked up, feeling the embarrassment shade my cheeks. I've spent my entire life wishing to just vanish when I'm in these kinds of situations but now that I could very easily disappear from everyone's views I'm even more confined to endure my humiliation. Why it is a common misconception that having the ability to disappear would solve all problems? It's only created problem areas in places I'd never have guessed.

"I'll see you after class, Mr. Fenton, yes," Mr. Fuluka asked me. I sat down in my seat, nodding my head. Mr. Fuluka turned back to the board and continued the lessons.

At the end of third period, I approached Mr. Fuluka's desk while Sam and Tucker remained in their seats. "Miss Manson, Mr. Foley, unless you want me to assume you aided Mr. Fenton in his escapade, then I'd suggest you to go about your day."

"Go on, guys. I'll catch up, soon," I told them.

"You sure," Tucker asked me, ignoring the teacher's threat.

"Yes," I said. "Don't get into trouble because of me."

"Let us worry about that," Sam answered, grabbing her backpack. "You don't let him push you around."

"Out," Mr. Fuluka ordered of Sam.

"Don't…" Sam began to retort angrily but Tucker covered her mouth.

"Danny's in enough trouble. Let's not add to that," Tucker remarked. Sam glared at him.

"Fine," Sam said, stepping outside. "But don't think I'll forget about this."

"Go on, guys," I told them. My two friends exited the classroom.

"Mr. Fenton, I have to say you associate with some unruly characters," Mr. Fuluka remarked.

"I don't question your friends, please don't question mine," I stated with my voice respectful.

"Anyway," Mr. Fuluka remarked, "I am truly disappointed in you, Mr. Fenton. You never displayed problems before."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Fuluka. I had something I needed to deal with," I told my teacher. "Can you just give me detention and let me go?"

"See, Mr. Fenton, the problem is detention isn't working. It's no longer a punishment to you," Mr. Fuluka remarked. "I believe I will be required to do something more productive."

I nodded, "Do what you need to."

"You are dismissed, Mr. Fenton. Please do not disrespect my classroom like that again," Mr. Fuluka remarked. I picked my bag up and walked out of the classroom.

"What happened," Tucker asked as he and Sam came up beside me when I entered the hallway.

"Apparently, detention isn't teaching me anything," I remarked, my voice sarcastic.

"What's he going to do," Sam asked.

I came to a stop at Tuck's locker and placed my belongings inside, "I don't know. He never told me." Tucker came up behind me and did the same. I handed Tucker his book for the next class.

Tucker and I now share a locker. When the Box Ghost destroyed my old locker and Mr. Lancer assigned me a new one on a completely different hallway (near Band Geeks, no less), Tuck offered to share his locker. So now, I have school supplies in Tuck's locker while I have extra ghost weapons in mine.

"And you're not curious," Sam asked as Tucker slammed his locker. We began walking to Sam's locker next.

"Of course I am but what can I do? Whatever this punishment is, it won't stop me from my 'inappropriate behavior'," I said, putting up air quotes. "I don't have a choice."

"We know that," Tucker said, picking up speed to line up with Sam and I. "But do the teachers?"

"It doesn't matter if they get that or not," I replied, coming to a standstill by Sam's locker. She began to exchange her belongings. "All that matters is I still get to do my job while trying to have some education. I can't live off of ghost hunting for the rest of my life."

Sam laughed out, deliberately, "Yeah, right. We make more from the United States Government than most people make and they've been working the system their whole lives!"

"That's true," I said quietly, "But I don't want to bankrupt our country!"

Sam slammed her locker shut and packed her books in her bag. She slipped the bag on her back and began walking to our next class. The subject didn't come back up because we all wondered what would happen in our next class. Either both Sam and Tucker forgot the reason I got into trouble or just figured it was nothing serious. Either way, I couldn't wait to tell them how I defeated Skulker on my own!

School ended at three-thirty like every day, Sam, Tucker and I walking home just like every day. However, when I made it home my parents were waiting for me. I dropped my bag behind the couch, mentally cringing at the conversation that would soon take place. Without being told, I sat down in the recliner beside the couch.

"Do you know what this is about," Mom asked me, the disappointment evident in her voice.

"I have a suspicion," I said, looking at my shoes.

"That doesn't sound like you, Danny," Mom said, her voice rising.

"I know," I said slowly, keeping my eyes downcast.

"Then why did you do it," Dad asked me next.

"I can't answer that," I replied quietly.

"Then what are we supposed to believe," Mom asked me immediately.

"I don't know," I replied, still in my weakened voice.

"Aren't you going to defend yourself at all," Dad asked me, surprised.

"Why should I," I said, my voice rising up but still a far cry from defensive. "No matter what I do, I can't satisfy you!"

"Sweetheart, we just want to know why we pulled your butt from the fire," Mom asked me.

I looked up at this, "What happened?"

"Mr. Fuluka was going to suspend you for insubordination," Mom answered.

"You've got to be kidding me," I cried out. "For sneaking out of the classroom because he wasn't looking.

"We told him that if he proceeded to seek that punishment, then we would take this to the teacher's union," Dad answered. "One look at your record and they would truly reconsider. But why would you sneak out of the classroom in the first place?"

My eyes immediately cast downwards again. I couldn't explain that to them. I heard Mom and Dad sigh.

"If you won't answer us, then our only choice is to ground you," Mom replied. I heaved a sigh. So be it.

"How long," I asked.

Mom and Dad released disappointed sighs as well, "One week." I stood up, going upstairs. I heard Mom reply to Dad, "I think Mr. Fuluka was right, though. The current punishments aren't working."

XXX

I snuck back into my window, ending Wednesday's night of patrolling. I still can't believe how many ghosts now decide it is perfectly fine to come and go as they please now that everyone knows about ghosts. My thermos was absolutely full and I was only on the streets from six 'til ten. Before Walker's invasion, I'd catch this in maybe a month, not four hours! However, I guess this is the new norm.

I placed my thermos on my dresser and undressed for bed. After I put my PJs on, I climbed in bed too tired to bathe. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out.

XXX

I woke up, the sun shining brightly. I stretched, curious as to why my alarm hadn't gone off. I reached for my alarm clock but instead was met with a body. The body moved in its slumber, waking slightly. "Good morning, bitch."

I jumped out of bed, staring at Vlad in shock. I looked around my room but it wasn't anymore. I didn't know where I was. Vlad stood up from the bed, grabbing a robe from the bedpost. "Stay away from me," I demanded but it didn't deter him.

"You knew I would come for you one day," Vlad said, tying the ropes. "Last night was that day."

"You promised me if I obeyed you'd leave me," I screamed. Realization dawned on me as I had no desire to speak those words. Okay, I thought to myself, it's a dream.

"And you didn't obey me," Vlad remarked. I backed up against the corner, my breaths shaking my shoulders.

"I'm sorry that I ran," I stated, once again not having any clue as to why I'd say that. "I was fighting a ghost."

"And I come first," Vlad said, closing the gap. Vlad's lips came crashing down on my mouth. I tried to fight back, hating his kisses but I wouldn't do this in the future. Apparently, Vlad had visited me so much that I knew what to do and how to act. However, what surprised me most is I began to return the kiss. I could feel the unease in my stomach but I put full passion in the kiss.

I wrapped my arm around his neck, fully engaged in the kiss. I moaned as Vlad pulled at the corner of my mouth. Vlad's hands tightened around my waist as he pushed me against the wall. Mentally, I was having a fight with myself. I wanted Vlad but at the same time I didn't.

Vlad picked me up and carried me over to the bed. I broke the kiss for a moment. "Are you going to go Plasmius," I asked.

"No," Vlad replied, looking into my eyes. I felt my shoulders relax. As Vlad laid me on the bed, I untied his robe and pushed it over his shoulders. The robe slipped to the ground, Vlad standing completely naked. My eyes traced his hard body, relishing in his beauty(?) and desiring his body. Vlad came down upon me and began to remove my PJs. I turned intangible before he finished, the purple fabric slipping through my skin.

I pulled Vlad in, me kissing him this time. Inside, I was trying to suppress the desire I had. It wasn't me, not really. My future-self desired Vlad but I experienced it as I dreamed it. Vlad came on top of me but his weight didn't crush me. I reached my body up until we were kissing uninterrupted again. Vlad slipped his hand behind my back to hold me so I wouldn't strain.

_I love you_, Vlad thought. _You know that_. I was still hearing my voice but apparently it didn't affect me.

And I love you, I returned in my mind. But I love my family too.

_But you're choosing them over me_, Vlad said, heartbroken.

I told you that I'd always choose you but you also know that if we tell Mom and Dad about us they'll forbid me from seeing you, I tried to tell him.

_They'll never find us here_, Vlad insisted.

You know that's not the truth, I replied. We were talking but at the same time we were playing around. Ever since I screwed up and told them I was… raped… they've been on high alert. I said the word rape slowly, as if I was afraid to say the word. If I could, I would have never told them.

_If I could, I would have never hurt you_, Vlad said, my voice shameful.

I reached up with my hand and traced his cheek as we kissed. You weren't yourself. You loved me even then… you just done what you had to. I told you to forgive yourself, honey, so do it. For us.

_I try_, Vlad answered. He broke the kiss, laying down beside me on the bed. "It's hard, though."

I sat up on the bed, pushing myself against his body. "I know that it's hard to forgive yourself but if you don't, you're going to never experience life the way it's supposed to be experienced."

"I don't deserve you," Vlad said, him now rubbing my cheek. I kissed him passionately.

"I believe you do," I said after the kiss. "I believe we deserve each other. We'll never be complete without the other. We're soul mates."

"I'm going to mess it up," Vlad said, his voice still ashamed.

"Only if you keep focusing on the past," I replied, laying my head on his chest. "You've screwed up before but there's nothing you can do about it. Focus on your future and be determined to make it for the best."

"Go better," Vlad said, his voice displaying humor.

I laughed, finding the humor, "Yes, go better."

Vlad laid his head on mine, holding me close. I snuggled into his chest, enjoying the silence. Inside, I desired his body but I took comfort in this substitute. I had other intentions but I enjoy the cuddling sometimes more.

After a long time, I watched the sun start to sink into the horizon. Vlad kissed my head suddenly, pushing me into a sitting position. I pulled myself up and turned to look at him. Vlad started to get dressed.

"Hurry up and put your pajamas on, Daniel," Vlad addressed me.

"Where are we going, honey," I asked him.

"I'm not going anywhere. You're going home," Vlad told me.

"Are you sure," I asked him. Excitement and depression filled me at the same time.

"Yeah," Vlad answered, buttoning his suit. My future-self wondered why he was dressing if I was the only one going. I wondered how I was going to go anywhere without Vlad.

After I dressed, I walked over to Vlad and he pulled me into a kiss. After he broke the kiss, he phased me through the floor into a lab of some kind. "I'll see you later," I told him as I triggered my rings. I stepped through a portal and flew into the Ghost Zone.

I floated out of the Ghost Zone and into my house where I phased through the ceiling to the front door. I powered down and opened the door, walking in. I saw Mom, Dad, Sam, Tucker, Jazz, Mom Number Two, Dad Number Two, Samuels, and a few officers. I coughed lightly.

"Danny," my family shouted excitedly while Samuels and the officers shouted my nickname.

"Hey," I said with my lips turned up in a small smile. "He just freaked, that's all."

"That's it," Mom declared. "You are to tell me who this bastard is!"

"That bastard is my boyfriend," I defended. "I told you I forgave him for what he done."

"Well we haven't," Sam retorted.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't leave and be with him," I said, looking at my family and friends.

"Because we haven't hurt you," Tucker returned.

"Come on," I said, my voice rising. "Every one of us here has hurt someone else and regrets it. Sometimes, it's each other! He made a mistake and he knows it. I've forgiven him. Case closed."

"Danny, I know that's the way you think you feel," Jazz began. My future-self grew angry, citing her psychoanalyst.

"No," I retorted. "That's the way I feel. He doesn't hurt me anymore. He even let me go although all he wanted to do was protect us."

"Then why don't he tell us who he is," Sam asked critically.

"So we'll forever be criticized," I asked. "Would you?"

"I've decided to do so now," I heard Vlad's voice. I spun around, horrified.

"Vlad," I asked, trying to sound surprised for a reason other than the reason I was.

"It's time I stood up for our love, Daniel. I love you and I'm willing to fight for you but the right way," Vlad said, stepping close to me. He turned to the direction of my family and those from Homeland Security, Division G. "I was originally Danny's rapist but now I'm his boyfriend."

My future-self stared in horror as Vlad confessed to my family. Suddenly, my instincts kicked in as I stepped in front of Vlad just as Mom stood up, hurt and anger on her face.

"We trusted you," Mom said, as I cut her off. "Daniel, step aside!"

"No," I returned, putting my hands up. "Vlad, you know what I said," I said desperately. "It's going to come true now!"

Great, I thought to myself. I'm dreaming the result of a failed dream. I hate my life.

"If I can't have you the way it's supposed to be, then maybe it isn't meant to be," Vlad answered me. He then looked at my parents, "I'd hope that our friendship would be strong enough for you to realize what I'm saying is genuine."

"We have no friendship anymore," Dad retorted coldly. "You lost that when you hurt my son!"

"Dad, please, he didn't mean to," I said, still defending Vlad but frantic for this to end.

"The hell he didn't," Sam screamed out. "I should have seen the signs that it was him."

"The rape was over before you guys even met him for the first time," I cried out desperately. I choked over the word rape but I forced myself to stay together.

Vlad's hand lay upon mine, my eyes searching for him. "It's all right, Daniel. I'm a big boy."

"No, you're a man. He's a boy," Samuels declared.

"Samuels, please, you don't know what's been happening these last few months. None of you do," I said, my eyes pleading.

With my eyes on Samuels, I didn't notice Mom make her move. I felt an arm on my shoulder and a jerk. Mom broke a capsule with her thumb and placed it under my nose while I saw Dad pull out a thermos. I didn't fear that they'd discovered our secrets but that Vlad would hurt himself because he was claustrophobic. I restlessly fell unconscious.

XXX

I shot up in bed, my heart pounding alive as it always did with my dreams. I breathed hard, still feeling the hatred for my family and the fear for Vlad that I felt in my dream. I pulled my knees to my chest, absorbing the dream. I tried to calm my breathing but with my vitals returning to life and the dream still in my memory, I couldn't do it. There was a lot of things that my dream told me.

One, Vlad would return. No doubt about that, and there was hardly a doubt before the dream, but now it was official. The dream was crystal clear which meant that it was a real possibility. But not only would Vlad return, I'd fall in love with him. That part scared me.

There was little doubt there, too; though this time I had no clue before the dream. I would be so devoted to Vlad that I would choose him over my family and in fact when pressured to do so at the end of the dream, I was beginning to do just that. I was angry with my family for disproving of Vlad. I was about to expose our secrets but was afraid of the consequences.

However, one thing I don't know is why I kept referencing an us. One would be first to presume that I meant Vlad and I but I didn't. I'm not sure what I was referencing but it meant a lot to me. I finally felt my heart return to the usual 120-180 bpm and my breathing return to normal.

I laid my head down on the pillow but I was scared to return to sleep. I looked at my clock and it read a quarter 'til 5. If I started to have another dream, I'd be late to school. I stood up, placing my feet on the ground. I'd go take a bath for the remainder of my time.

After thirty minutes in the tub, my mind still wouldn't rest. I have always been terrified of Vlad returning but I'm learning that I'm more scared of falling in love with him. The way I kissed him and the way I secretly wanted him disgusted me. I never want to feel that.

It made me think back to the dream I had at Vlad's with my siding with him. How I had turned my back on my family and even killed or hurt them because Vlad told me to. I still believe I can never give up but isn't falling in love with him just as dangerous? I was going to side with Vlad there in that living room when Mom and Dad turned on their former friend. Even that would be bad.

My eyes fell upon Dad's razor on the tub side. I fought the thought that came to my mind. I couldn't possibly… and what about my family? What would my town do without me? What would they do with that side of you, a part of me asked? I had destroyed part of the town, killed Tucker, raped Sam, killed Jazz and did nothing while Vlad killed Dad and raped Mom. Would the town be better off with that side of me?

I shook my head, trying to reason with myself. It was only a dream. I woke up the minute that Vlad began the next step. That means that it wasn't a pathetic dream… just a regular pathetic dream. It was only my worst fears presenting themselves.

The same way your overactive imagination continued the fight with Vlad in the castle that night and told you he raped you, that voice returned. I felt a lump in my throat as I began to realize what I needed to do. I picked up the razor and removed the blade. I wouldn't hesitate. I wouldn't drag this out any further. I held my hand out and placed the razor to my skin.

I held my hand steady, ready to finish it. I fought the urge to close my eyes, knowing I was doing this with my family and my town's sakes in mind. I would be dying for them. It wouldn't be a waste. I'd be saving them by stopping myself.

I took one last breath and pulled the blade to me. I felt the skin break and the blade travel the length of my wrist. The system failure of my arm sent a rush to my head, a sensation I haven't felt in a while. Pain rushed through my body, causing every sensor on my body to react. However, the gush of blood only lasted less than a second.

I looked down at my wrist in wonder, the shock of the pain not allowing me to think clearly. My wrist was fine. The sensors began to shut down, the pain now gone. The water wasn't even tinted red. As the shock faded, I could once again think clearly. I placed the razor back to the top of my wrist and pulled again.

This time I saw it. The pain instantly filled my sensors, the shock kicking in. As the blade cut a new cell, a new patch of skin, the old one healed. When I reached the end of my wrist, the skin healed completely but I still felt the pain. A small pool of blood formed at the sight but it slipped into the water unnoticed. As the pain faded, so did the shock.

I pulled it again, the blade cutting but my wound healing. It only lasted a manner of seconds, and the blood loss was insignificant. I decided to try it the other way and cut vertically. The results were the same. I brought the blade up to my sight, seeing the small trickle of blood on the steel.

I couldn't even commit suicide. Even though I wanted to die, I still couldn't. I was stuck here. If I did fall in love with Vlad, then there would be nothing I could do to stop myself from siding with him. But perhaps the most devastating was the fact that there was no escape.

It was like my powers were a prison. It would be too easy to just leave this world. I had to suffer through what I got myself into. This was my punishment for cheating death. I had done it so many times before, now Death was punishing me by making me really want it this time but be unable to get satisfaction. My life will forever be hell.

I heard a knock come to the door and a sleepy voice ask me, "Danny, are you in there?"

"Y-Yeah," I replied, my voice breaking. "I'll be out in a moment, Dad."

"Take your time. I just noticed you weren't in your room," Dad said. I heard his footfalls going away from me.

XXX

All day Wednesday and Thursday I wasn't myself. Even simple things were difficult to do. The last I saw Beth, I had decided to send her some money so I asked for her address. With a moment to do so, I sent the check to aid her, hoping she'd leave Vlad. However, just to write the check and mail it proved difficult. I really wasn't myself Wednesday and all day at school Thursday, I was distracted. I knew something had to be done but I didn't know what to do. On the way home from school Thursday, I decided on what to do. Friday I was more optimistic, although I probably shouldn't have been. Walking home, I decided to end my months long silence.

"Guys, we've got to do some things this weekend. Have you got any plans," I asked, my stomach in knots.

"Yeah," Sam answered. I felt my face fall. "Do whatever you've got planned." Tucker started laughing.

"It's not funny, Tucker," I stated, aggravated.

"Actually," Sam answered. "I'm on his side."

I stared at Sam in shock and so did Tucker. Suddenly, Tucker got this arrogant look on his face. "See, I was right."

"Don't get too cocky," Sam shot back. "I'm just saying that your face was priceless there, Danny. As if we could do anything else when you need us? What kind of friends do you think we are?"

"It's not the kind of friend you are," I said, "It's the kind of friend I am. I constantly disrupt your lives or ask you to ignore your needs. I should be ashamed!"

"Well, I'm glad that you're not," Sam answered. I never said that. "We're in this together, Danny. And as soon as we catch you with your back turned, we'll really be in this together." I didn't need to wonder what she meant by that.

"I'll never allow you to turn yourselves half ghost," I said simply. I didn't feel like getting in another argument.

"Good thing we'll never ask for your permission," Tucker answered back, his response simple as well.

I cleared my throat, "Okay, back to what I was saying. Do you guys remember when I told you about the ghost I met in Wisconsin?"

"The one you told us tried to kill your dad," Sam asked.

"Yes," I answered, my voice level as I fought back the suffocating fear. "Well, his name is Plasmius and he's more powerful than me."

Sam and Tucker's eyes widened at this. "You said you had no problem defeating him," Tucker declared, shock in his green eyes.

"No," I corrected his memory, "I said that I beat him simply. I didn't mean easily, I meant in a non-complex way."

"How were we to know that's what you meant," Sam asked, angry.

"Actually," I said, my voice low, "It was meant to throw you off. That's how I remember how I worded it."

"Danny, don't you believe we deserve to know there's someone out there more powerful than you," Tucker asked me.

I took a shaky breath, "I didn't think he'd come back. When I met him, he wanted to kill Dad and marry Mom. But when he found out about my powers, he also wanted to make me his apprentice."

"How did you beat him," Sam asked me.

"I forced him into a truce," I answered, my voice still low. "I threatened to expose us both unless he agreed to leave my family alone. He agreed but he found a way around the truce. He went after me instead of my family," I started but was cut off.

"How could you expose him as a ghost? Didn't your parents already know," Sam asked me.

"No," I spoke softly. Moment of truth. "He's like me."

"What," both of them screamed at me.

"But he came after me but left my family alone. The truce is still in effect but I'm still in trouble," I replied. Of course, I couldn't let them in on the full scene.

"He broke the truce, Danny," Sam replied, her voice urgent. "Expose him!"

"How," I asked her. "If I expose him, he'll expose me! With me being public ghost enemy number one, Mom and Dad will dissect me or worse. I'll lose anyway."

"Mom and Dad will understand," Tucker answered.

"You guys didn't see their faces," I said, my voice leveling out again. "They hated Phantom. They'd kill him in a heartbeat, even if it meant killing their own son."

Tucker opened his mouth to object but Sam interrupted him, "What have you got in mind?"

"Well," I said, getting back on track. "The reason Plasmius is so powerful is because he's had all this time to train. If I could actually spend time training, I might be able to hold my own instead of getting wiped the floor with."

Sam broke out in a smile, "I thought that you'd never ask."

We went to the lab and I explained to them about the duplicate process. Sam believed that it might be able to trigger it by wanting to be in two different places at the same time, kind of how Prue developed Astral Projection on Charmed. I tried it with disastrous results but it did prove that I could one day obtain it… just not today. However, something I never expected happened.

I heard Mom cry my name happily, as she ran down the stairs. I narrowly missed an otherwise uncomfortable conversation with the help of Tucker but Mom ruined all hopes of having a weekend with no homework, no family and no interruptions. She wanted us to attend some kind of mother-son science symposium, just the two of us that way Jazz and Dad could have some time to spend together as well. As much as I didn't want to, I couldn't just say no.

Therefore, before the evening was up, we were on the way to the airport. I was so angry because Mom has no idea how hard it was for me to get the courage up to tell Sam and Tucker about Vlad. Then there was the fact I was spending an entire weekend with the woman who wanted to kill my other half and dissect me for scientific purposes. That does tend to create tension on an otherwise close relationship.

We boarded the plane at the airport and were approached by a member of the staff. I stared at her for a while, but I shook the feeling that I knew her. Of course I didn't know her, she worked for this DALV group. The woman asked for all phone's and communication devices.

"Why," I asked, suspicious.

"Our objective is to unite mothers and sons through the power of science, not just technology. We feel that the bond will be tighter without the extra burden of those objects," she answered. I growled but handed the woman my phone. Thank goodness, I decided to leave my one-eight-hundred Phantom phone at home.

Mom also handed her communication devices over and the woman departed the plane. I wondered what she would do with them until we were through with this stupid thing. Soon, though, we were taking off in the direction of Florida.

Once again, I was on my way to Florida but I truly hoped this trip would be slightly better than the last one. It's not to say that the last trip was terrible because it really wasn't. I only spent two nights with Vlad while I was there, the rest of the time I spent with Grandpa. I really need to call him when I get back. Only problem is, I don't have his number.

A couple of hours later, Mom ended her silence. "A private plane ride to and from the convention," Mom declared, her voice exuberant. "What do you think about that, Danny?"

"Do you want the truth or one of those little white lies that makes you feel better," I asked her, my arms crossed against my chest.

Mom sighed disappointedly, "Just forget it, Danny and look at that warm, sunny Florida coastline."

I looked outside the window but found tall mountain ranges instead. "What the," I asked, alarmed. Mom glanced out the window as well.

As if on cue, an announcement came across the loudspeakers: "This is your captain speaking. If you'll take a look to your right, you'll see the cold, bleak Colorado Rockies," the man stated in a tour guide voice.

"The Rockies," I asked, startled even more. The timeline fit but what were we doing here. "That's nowhere near Florida, what gives?"

"And if you look to your left, you'll see me; bailing out of the plane before it careens," he said, chuckling cruelly, "and crashes!"

I was the first to the window on the opposite side but Mom wasn't far behind. Sure enough, the man was parachuting out of the plane. We had to get to the cockpit. As I was going over our options, I actually gave Mom the opportunity to reach the cockpit before I did. Mom sat down in the pilot's seat but I knew it wouldn't work. Whoever done this didn't want us to come out alive.

"The controls are jammed," Mom spoke aloud, unintentionally, I'm sure. _How do we get out of this_, I heard in my head.

I know one way, I thought to myself. I ducked low to the ground and triggered the rings. I didn't know if I'd get out of this or if she'd kill me for attacking her and Dad last week but I knew I couldn't just let her die. I loved her too much to let her down. I stood up, now in my Phantom form, and placed a hand on her back. Instantly, a painful shock shot through my body, draining me of my energy.

The rings formed and I powered down. Mom turned around and seeing me hurt, she rushed to my side. "Danny," Mom cried worriedly as she placed a hand on my forehead. As soon as her hand touched me I felt a part of me being choked.

"I'm fine," I called, swatting her hand away.

"Danny," Mom said again, this time hopeful. "Parachutes!"

I turned around to see two parachutes, one with my name and the other with Mom's. I now know this is a plot, but from who?

We bailed out of the plane and pulled our chutes. As we fell gracefully to the earth, I heard something below me. I looked down to see the pilot. "You've been the recipients' of a cruel hoax," the pilot called cheerfully, as if we were on a game show and our lives weren't in danger. "Thank you for flying Air Evil Plot!"

I crossed my arms as I saw him float towards the plane. He was a damn ghost! "Oh, Danny, don't be so glum! Look at the view!"

I don't believe she even pieced it together!

XXX

I really regret giving that woman my cell phone now. Mom cut through a bushel of undergrowth with a machete. She had one actually tucked away in that suit of hers! I groaned again, knowing we were stuck here and there was no way Dad could know where we were.

Mom cut down another thicket revealing a cleaned path. I looked up in amazement, a large home sitting in the background. "Hey, maybe they have a phone we could use here," Mom declared. I wasn't so sure. Whoever owns this place is going on my suspect list.

I heard a beeping sound and I turned to see a two-seater cart pull up. "Maddie and Danny Fenton," the voice declared in mocked surprise. I'd know that voice anywhere.

"Vlad Masters," Mom cried out completely surprised while I done so with a much less friendly attitude.

"Oh, what an amazing, unexpected and unplanned for surprise," Vlad said, his eyes squinting as if he wanted to scream at Mom 'I did it.' Nope, he's just showing off: "Personalized gift baskets?"

Mom totally took the bait, jumping in the cart and taking the baskets from Vlad's hands. I narrowed my eyes, you're up to something!

_Oh, you think_, Vlad returned to me telepathically. I shivered as I once again heard my voice in that cold and uncaring tone.

I stepped out of the woods and once again onto his property but only because Mom was there. If I had my way, I'd be as far away from that man as possible. I saw Vlad lift his wrist and speak into his controller. I knew exactly what he said but Mom didn't quite catch it or thought she heard wrong. Vlad balked.

"I said… flap jacks. Yes, flap jacks. I made pancakes!"

Apparently, it sounded plausible to Mom. I'd do anything to get her away from him and get us out of these woods but I knew we were stuck here… maybe forever.

**AN: Chapter Companions are available at fan fiction dot net slash my forums slash Team 04 Phantom slash 3876657. Thank you for the reviews! I was starting to believe I was talking to myself out there. I can't begin to tell you how warm I feel to know someone out there is reading. Please keep it up. I'll take any kind of criticism.**

**Until next time,**

**Team04Phantom**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom, Maternal Instincts, Lucky In Love or Million Dollar Ghost.**

**AN: This story contains rape and male sex.**

**Chapter Eight: Broken**

Mom settled in beautifully at his home but I was on edge. I sat down, uncomfortable, in one of his chairs. I looked around the room, pelts of every animal known to man decorating the walls. I didn't know Vlad was into taxidermy. I looked to the floor and a bear's head stared up at me. I gasped and scooted to the back of the chair, imagining myself pictured like that. That is what Skulker wanted to do with me.

Of course! Skulker was probably the one who stuffed all these animals. It didn't matter, though. I had to find a way out of here. I looked to Vlad, his refection staring at me. I wondered if he was reading my thoughts, moms…, or both. However, I noticed something written on his clothing. DAVL—Vlad, spelled backwards! I knew it was him for a while but the fact the name slipped past me was humiliating… and the girl. I knew I recognized her. She was one of Vlad's stewardesses.

"So, tell me what brings you to these parts," Vlad asked us, as if he didn't already know.

"You'll never believe it," Mom said. Oh, he'd believe it. "We were on our way to the symposium when our pilot forced us out of the plane. Luckily, it was right over your house!"

I decided to make my move, "Yeah. It was like some kind of villainous plot. What a well-planned coincidence," I added, narrowing my eyes at Vlad. Now he's broken the truce!

"That would be an oxymoron, my dear boy," Vlad pointed out, raising his finger. "Oh, and speaking of morons, how's your old man?"

I felt my eyes glow from my anger. If anyone's the moron, it's him!

"Ooh, the scary eyes," Vlad taunted. Suddenly, Vlad's eye's shot a beam in my direction and I barely dodged out of the way. I landed in the floor with a heap. Vlad went towards my mom. "Maddie, I'm so glad you're here," Vlad began talking to her in that suave voice he's perfected. "It gives me a chance to apologize for Jack's behavior at our college reunion."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Dad overtaken by some putrid ghost," I said. I accidently put in the word putrid but I decided to take it further now that I've stepped in it. "Some fifthly, lonely, single, putrid ghost."

Vlad sent another beam my way, knocking me into a wall. My foot was actually lodged in the drywall.

"Well, if he hadn't been so weak perhaps that wouldn't have ever happened," Vlad said, remaining in character.

"Now, Vlad," I heard Mom say. Come on, Mom, let him know you don't buy this. "Jack may be a bumbler, but he means well."

"I know, Maddie, and I've forgiven him for many things," Vlad began. Now what? "The accident that ruined my life, stealing you, the backwash incident!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, back up. What did you say," Mom asked, blindsided. I smiled mischievously then returned to trying to remove my foot.

"Causing the accident that ruined my life," Vlad said, trying to make her forget his slip-up.

"No, after that," Mom said, kind but stern.

"The backwash incident," Vlad tried again.

Mom wasn't so kind this time, "No! In the middle!"

"Stealing you," Vlad said, almost as a question. Then he decided to stick to it because, he, who could turn him down? "Oh, Maddie, you could always see right through me." Yeah, because you've always been shallow. Vlad fell to one knee, "I'm just going to come right out with it: please dump Jack and stay with me; you and Danny both can! What do you say?"

I pulled my leg out of the wall and glared at him. If he believes I'm going to allow that…

"Danny, honey," Mom said, cutting my thoughts short. "Close your ears. What Mommy's about to say isn't for tender ears."

I gladly complied, knowing she was about to tell Vlad off big time. However, in my own voice I heard the following: "Vlad Masters, I loved your mother, but you son of a bitch! How dare you ask me such a thing, God Damnit? I am happily married with Jack and I have more than one child, you know! I love Jack and I will always choose him when it comes to whom I want to spend the rest of my life with, you bastard. I don't know why you think Jack ever stole me from you but, damnit, I was never for the taking. I'm going to take my son and go now and I don't ever want to fucking see you again, is that clear? You leave my family alone or I'll show you what I can do!"

Mom walked over to me, I barely able to hold a straight face and pretend I didn't just hear every word. Mom grabbed my wrist that was plugging my left ear and pulled me towards the door. I tugged my arm inconspicuously away from her hand before the choking sensation could ruin my moment of glory.

"Oh, you done," I asked, happily. I couldn't stop from smiling.

"Let's go, Danny," Mom said, her anger largely there. We walked out of the cottage, Mom actually stomping.

"Bye, Vlad. And as a lonely, single man in your forties might I suggest internet dating… or a cat!"

"Mark my words, Maddie, no one says no to Vlad Masters. You will rue the day you spurred my affection. … and I will not get a cat!"

This is the greatest day of my life!

XXX

Mom stomped in the dark woods for hours. It was completely black out and I could see clearly but I knew Mom couldn't. I think she was just too angry that she didn't care. I don't believe I have ever heard Mom use that many cuss words in my life. She sounded more like Mom Number Two than whom she normally is.

Mom finally stopped walking and began to set up camp. I started a fire, actually using my ecto-energy without Mom knowing. Mom came over and sat down against the log beside me. She pulled out something from her suit: "Fenton-jerky," Mom asked me, holding it up. I wasn't that hungry.

"Pass," I said, my mood changing. I may have had my fun but Vlad wouldn't let this slide.

Mom sighed, disappointedly. "Danny, I know this weekend isn't turning out like I'd planned but we're spending it together and that just means the world to me," Mom said. Trust me, it did to me too. But she placed her hand on my hand, causing me to choke.

I shook her hand away from mine, resisting the urge to gasp for breath. I used the technique Vlad taught me so I wouldn't come back gasping for air. "Please, stop touching me," I cried out, much too harsh than I had planned. Mom sighed again and I felt like crap.

I didn't want to hurt her anymore, so I stood up, "Listen, I'm going to sleep over here, all right."

Mom seemed to accept that, "All right," she said. "Goodnight."

I mumbled. "Goodnight," I said as I lay down in my sleeping bag. For some reason, Mom sighed again. As soon as I destroy that belt, I need to spend some time with her.

The fire died down and I was drifting off to sleep when I heard something crunching. I opened my eyes to see an immensely hairy brown leg in front of my eyes. I couldn't help it, "Either Mom really needs to shave her legs or this is really bad news." I knew it was the latter.

I struggled with the six-armed bear but come on it did have six arms. One set wrapped around my legs holding me in place, one set wrapped around my mouth so I couldn't scream for Mom and the other set wrapped constrictively around my waist. I tried wrestling with the thing but nothing seemed to work. If I tried to turn intangible, it would shake me until I lost my bearings. I couldn't strong-arm it; I was stuck.

The beast carried me across the forest in record-breaking time, slamming me into the chair I had sit in earlier. I prepared myself, both for a fight and for the losing of said fight. I knew Vlad would rape me again and I tried to tell myself I was okay with that. It wasn't working but I did manage to keep my breathing under control.

Animal beasts surrounded me on all sides and I stared at them in shock. The sea of animals parted and I saw Plasmius floating at the helm. I forced myself to breathe one last time as I leapt to the floor, transforming into my ghost form. What would un-scared Danny Phantom do now?

"Nice petting zoo, Plasmius!"

Vlad floated casually up to me, one hand behind his back like normal. "Ah, there's that teen wit again," he said. Suddenly, this sharp and penetrating pain shot through my body, every inch of me shooting with pain. I screamed out, not quite raped pain but more than an average attack.

I noticed Vlad's hand was now out from behind his back and he had in it a pronged device.

"Wh-what was that," I asked, in shock. My heart rate slowed so tremendously, that I thought for a second I was dying. Wait a minute, heartbeat? I glanced to my arms and sure enough the pink flesh peeked back at me.

"Oh," Vlad said, casually, "I call it the Plasmius Maxmius. It has just short circuited your powers for three hours—that's midnight. I tell you this because I checked your grades like I said I would and I know you're bad at math. Now I won't have to spend so much effort in keeping you contained."

My powers… gone? I backed away from Vlad, fearfully. Without my powers, how would I heal? The ghost animals all phased out of the room, apparently their duties preformed. Vlad floated over to me, the smile playing on his lips making me want to hurl. Vlad grabbed me by the arm.

"No," I said, fighting him.

XXX

Vlad floated down the hall with me in tow. I fought as hard as I could but I was absolutely no match for him without my powers. Vlad tossed me in a bedroom and I hit the floor hard. I groaned in pain but forced myself to my feet. It was hard to focus on the pain I felt now knowing what was to come… or better put, not knowing what was to come. "I'm going to give you five minutes after you're undressed to prepare," Vlad said. "Use it wisely."

Vlad floated away and I ran to the door. An instant shock greeted me and I screamed in pain. I tried the window but I was met with the same result. I willed my intangibility to sink in but nothing happened. I sucked in air, trying to calm myself but my heart just barely raced 120 bpm. I was normal again and now I'd kill to be half ghost.

Why does Vlad have the ability to make me wish something away then beg for it right back? For the past week, I've wished I was normal and now that I am I'd kill to be half ghost again. I felt the fear paralyze me, and I wanted to be anywhere but here. I began to strip from my clothes and I felt the first tear slip down my cheek. I reached up and felt the cold, wet surface.

After I was completely naked, I climbed on the bed and laid face down on it. My chest heaved up and down slower than normal but still fast for a normal person. I could feel my throat constrict as the fear set in heavily. I closed my eyes, praying I'd just wake up or for once what I feel in my pathetic dreams I didn't feel for real. A severely cold sensation overcame my backend and I couldn't feel anything below my waist. I screamed out in debilitating pain.

"Five minutes, five seconds," Vlad said, mockingly. "Looks like I'm bad at math too." I screamed again, the cold absolutely handicapping. "You'll learn not to disrespect me in front of others, boy," Vlad said as I felt his hand slip below my waist. Vlad pulled me to my knees, the screams still coming out and not a bit less painful.

Vlad thrust his penis in my anus and I felt nothing. The spots clouded my vision and everything seemed to slow down. I got a cotton-taste in my mouth and I screamed again, the pain returning. "This is the effects of my numbing sensation."

I knew it was numb but it could hardly be called that. All it did was make me feel more pain. Before, I didn't feel anything and now I felt every excruciating pain in my body. No part of me was sparred. I felt my mind slipping away but Vlad refused me to completely leave. If it seemed I would go comatose, I'd receive more numbing.

I watched the clock Vlad left on his nightstand as the minutes ever so slowly inched towards midnight. I thought for sure every minute that passed was actually an hour but I knew it couldn't be right. Suddenly, I couldn't imagine the lives of Vlad's previous bitches. Their last years would have been like this day in, day out.

Just before midnight, Vlad reached over beside the clock and picked the pronged device again. I fought to escape but Vlad held me with one hand. He touched my side again and I gasped. Nothing hurt like the last three hours. Just when I think he's found a level of pain no one has ever found before, he adds to it.

Vlad pulled my naked body against his colder than ice form. I shivered uncontrollably but it made like a lullaby for Vlad. Soon, Vlad was fast asleep. I thought I was forever trapped here, never to be without pain when Vlad's arm left my side and all that remained was the arm beneath me. It was a long shot, but I had to try.

I gently rolled out of bed, my back shooting with pain the minute I moved. I bit back the screams so I wouldn't awaken him. I got dressed quietly, suppressing every single cry I made. As I moved, pain shot up through every inch of my body. I was still bleeding but I continued to move. Bruises covered my body from the rape and even some from his cold body temperature but I forced past it all.

As soon as I was dressed, I left the house and took off into the forest. If I could just find Mom, she'd be able to protect me. Every movement hurt but I continued anyway. Then I heard a wild animal call. I didn't know what it was, but whether it was Vlad's pets or a common animal didn't matter. I was powerless now and I would continue to be for another two hours and forty-five minutes. I began to run.

If moving hurt, walking hurt worse; if walking hurt worse, running was like dying in every step. I was actually screaming with every muscle movement despite my attempts to stay quiet. Soon, I saw the glows. I forced myself to go faster knowing if I didn't get away, I'd go right back.

I ran as far as I could, as fast as I could. When I fell, I got back up. When I came to uneven ground, I jumped. Every movement felt like knives cutting my skin. I tripped again, hitting the ground hard. I screamed out as more pain shot up my back and shot knives into my mind. Then I felt a hand grip mine. I screamed in fear this time.

When the hand lifted me no higher, I was relieved to see Mom. She held me by the arm and my eyes leveled out with hers. I looked to her waist, not feeling the choking feeling. The belt was there and turned on.

"Remind me how much trouble you're in for leaving the campsite," Mom told me, her voice strict.

"Wow," I said, surprised, "That doesn't hurt!"

Mom lowered me to a branch high on the tree. I suppressed the shooting pain I felt when my bottom touched the solid object. "Be right back," Mom said, the pain I was in escaping her detectors. She dropped an ecto-rope around the bear that had dragged me away.

Mom jumped from the tree and strung up the bear. While it tried to claw or tear its way from the rope, Mom went to face the other animals. I watched her face each one, never backing away though she was mere mortal and they were spectral beings. When she was done with the ecto-tipped batons, she used her laser eyes. Those ghosts didn't have a prayer.

When the last two ran away screaming, I slid down the tree and inwardly winced at the pain. "Now, young man, will you tell me what you think you were doing," Mom proceeded to scold me.

I hugged Mom tightly. "You were awesome," I exclaimed. I wasn't buttering her up, either. I had spent the past thirty minutes or so running from them. She beat them in ten minutes.

Mom gasped in excitement, "Thank you, sweetie!'

This small gopher popped up beside us, "I will destroy you," it called. Without hesitating, Mom blew it up using the baton.

"We'd better go before more ghost animals show up," Mom said, walking off.

I panicked, knowing I was defenseless without my powers. I looked at my clock, "One a.m. Hey, wait for me!"

I chased after her, not noticing a sinkhole. I tripped inside, gasping in pain and biting back the screams I really wanted to release.

"Danny," Mom asked, hearing me gasp. She saw me lying crumpled up on the ground. "There's my clumsy son, again," Mom dismissed the fall.

"Sorry," I said, standing up. The minute full weight came upon my legs, my knees buckled and I yelped in sharp pain.

"Honey," Mom said, walking over to me. "You've probably sprained your ankle. Let me carry you."

I wanted to object but I couldn't put weight on anything below my waist. My body temperature was normal, Vlad raping me proved that. My heart rate was only slightly faster than a normal person's and that was because of the ghost animals. I didn't see any reason why it would hurt… actually, it would help a lot.

"Are you sure," I asked her.

Mom didn't answer, just picked me up. I screamed in pain as she touched my back. She retracted her hand to look at something, "Honey, you're bleeding!"

"Oh," I said, trying to sound surprised. "I must have cut myself."

Mom began to ask me questions as we walked and I recognized them as first aid questions. I answered them using my knowledge of first aid so I wouldn't worry her. I knew I'd lost a lot of blood and I knew that I need medical attention but if I could make it until 3 o'clock, then I'd live… no pun intended.

XXX

Mom stopped just on the outskirts of Vlad's land. I hated that we were traveling in this direction but it was away from the animals. I lowered myself gently to my feet, biting my tongue as I landed. "I think we managed to give those animals the slip," I said once I could act normal again. Mom nodded. "So," I continued, "Any idea how we're going to get out of here." My head began to swim from the blood loss. I steadied myself.

"As much as I hate to say this," Mom said disgustedly, "I think we need to go back to Vlad's."

I panicked. She wanted to drag us back to the lion's den! "But he's the one who done this," I cried out without thinking. "I mean he said all those things about Dad," I corrected my response to sound plausible.

"I know he's a creep," Mom said. She had no idea how right she was, "but he's a creep with a phone and transportation!" I closed my eyes, the pain shooting again. I felt something wrap around my waist and I gasped from the pain. Then I gasped for another reason. "I know it's girly but it's for your own protection."

She put the belt on me! Mom began to walk in the direction of Vlad's house as I stood there, realization hitting me. "At three o'clock I get my powers back. At 3:01 the belt zaps me. At 3:02, Vlad tries to make out with my mom. Those are going to be the worst two minutes of my life!"

When Vlad's house came into sight, I glanced at my watch. "Ten 'til three," I groaned. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Vlad's our only chance of getting out of here," Mom remarked.

"Okay," I said, my eyes falling back to my level instead of up at her. As my eyes trailed over her own belt, I noticed the key to mine. "But first," I said, a plan coming to mind. This might work. "I just want to say, 'I love you.'" I said, hugging her. I slipped the key into my pocket.

"I love you too," Mom said, returning the hug. "Clingy," Mom exclaimed, cheerfully. I know she was just trying to suppress her gag reflex.

Mom walked up to the door, knocked and settled into waiting for a while. However, to her surprise, the door opened immediately. Vlad came to the door in fake enthusiasm. "Maddie," he cried Mom's name. He then turned to me, a hint of anger in his voice, "Daniel! You've returned! Oh, and just in time."

Mom pulled the focus off me. "Danny, go somewhere else as the adults talk," Mom said, her voice going low.

"Okay," I said, happy to leave but refusing to go out of sight. "If you need me, I'll be over there, barfing!"

I walked into the house, the opposite direction I actually pointed to. Mom and Vlad came in as well, taking a seat on the couch. I positioned myself far enough away that I couldn't hear what they were talking about but close enough to step in if Mom got in over her head. I couldn't do anything, though, so I had to wonder why I bothered.

It didn't take long for Vlad to be leaning in to my mom and I was burning with rage… and pain. Another two minutes, I thought to myself, and my injuries will heal up. Mom pushed Vlad away, her body language saying she wasn't quite ready yet but when she returned she would be. She walked over to me, an expression of pure horror on her face. It quickly turned to anger: "Keep old bate breath entertained until I can find a phone!"

Mom walked off, probably leading Vlad to the assumption she was going to powder her nose or some other such nonsense. I unlocked the belt. "Mom's gone so that means I can have a little alone time with Uncle Vlad," I said. "But first," I said, turning the minute hand back to fifteen 'til.

I walked over to Vlad, "Hey, Uncle Vlad," I said, as if it were so natural.

"I don't want that anymore, Daniel," Vlad said, reading a book. "If you want to butter me up, you'll have to try another approach."

"Perhaps the other offer," I said, imagining I was talking to a girl I liked… and wasn't my best friend or from my school.

This caught Vlad's attention, "Oh?"

"Yeah," I said, suppressing the gag reflex I now felt. "I kinda discussed it with my mom… not the whole picture but you get the image. What you did earlier," I lowered my eyes and cocked my head, "I love someone who takes control and doesn't take prisoners."

"Are you sure it has nothing to do with the fact I could do that at any time," Vlad asked me, placing the book on the couch. "And that your powers will be out another fifteen minutes?"

"Does it really matter," I asked him, stepping closer.

"Do you really mean it," Vlad asked, a smile of success lighting his face.

"Yes, I do," I said. I positioned myself just in front of him where when he went to accept my surrender I could do what I planned next. "I'm yours, Big Daddy!"

Vlad lifted my chin to kiss me and I whipped out the belt from behind my back. I locked it, backing away. The choking sensation did nothing to Vlad and I began to fear it wouldn't work.

"You tricked me," Vlad declared, pissed. Suddenly he screamed out as the dial glowed green. "You know what this means, don't you?"

"Oh, yeah," I said, looking at my watch. The display switched over to 3 o'clock. "A much fairer fight!" I powered up, my injuries healing immediately. "Thank you, portal!"

Vlad triggered his rings, black as my jumpsuit, and transformed into Plasmius. I stared in shock but shook the feeling. He can't do all the things he would with the belt on!

I charged at him but he easily tossed me aside. Vlad mocked me, saying even with his power drained he was still more powerful than me. That may be so but I'm stronger today! I struggled to get a hit in while he made no effort to do so and got results. When I nearly got caught by Mom, I found my strength. If I didn't do something, he'd touch her!

I don't know where the reserves came from but I was grateful it was there. I fought him until all it took was a puff of air for him to fall over. Vlad admitted defeat but refused to allow me to win. He called his animals but I had a solution for that too. The beasts turned on their creator then I got another idea.

"Don't even think about it, you spectral freaks. Even now I have more power than you," Vlad declared as the animals cornered him. I stuck the pronged device in his side.

"And now you don't," I quipped. I had revenge mapped out. "I'll give you five minutes, Plasmius."

"Really," Vlad asked, hopeful.

"Minutes, seconds; you know how bad I can be at math," I said casually. His face fell as he realized I'd make him pay for hurting me that way. "Get him!"

Vlad ran out of that house screaming.

I triggered my rings just before Mom came in the room. "Where's Vlad?"

"Oh, he ran out for a bite," I kidded but made it sound plausible. "So, how are we getting out of here?"

"I don't know," Mom said, dejected. "I couldn't find a phone in the cars, ATVs or the helicopter…" I started at her with amusement as Mom caught on. She stumbled to speak her words.

"Couldn't we just take the copter," I asked casually. Mom smiled at me.

XXX

I walked to the kitchen in a daze. What had that been that Jazz was riding on the back of? I didn't get a good look at whatever it was but I'm certain it had something to do with Vlad's demand to 'kill Jack.' Nice to know Dad isn't the screw-up Vlad thought he was. I picked up the phone and dialed Sam's number, missing my cell already.

Later that day, Sam and Tucker were in my room as I paced the floors. They watched my procession intently, wondering, I'm sure, what was going off. Finally, I took a seat on my bed. "It was all a trick," I spoke simply.

"What was," Sam asked me.

"The trip," I answered, making myself comfortable. "I swear, as soon as I'm comfortable talking to you guys about Plasmius, he shows up."

"That was him," Tucker asked, surprised.

"Yep," I answered simply. "And I hate him even more now."

"What happened," Sam asked me, concerned.

"He has this device," I answered. "It powered me down for three hours straight." They didn't need to know about the second time in the same night.

"Oh, my God, are you okay," Sam asked me.

"My injuries are healed," I spoke, then realized what I said. "Yeah."

"He hurt you," Tucker asked, enraged.

"It's nothing," I replied. It really wasn't. I'm just more appreciative to my powers.

"Danny, you need our help," Sam replied, her eyes locking with mine.

"Yes, I do," I said. "I need your help making me better, stronger, faster. I turned the belt on him and he was still stronger than I was. I need to go further."

I heard a knock on my door. "Come in," I called.

"Danny," Mom asked me, opening the door. "Hey Sam, hey Tucker."

"Hey, Mrs. Fenton," Sam replied.

"Hi, Mom," Tucker answered.

"Danny, where's the belt," Mom asked me. My eyes widened. "Danny?"

"I took it off at Vlad's," I remarked, not lying but not telling the truth either.

"You what," Mom yelled, enraged. "Daniel, why would you take that belt off? I told you to keep it on!"

"It was girly," I replied, using her description of it. Mom walked out of my room upset.

"What belt is she talking about," Tucker snickered.

"Oh, nothing," I answered. "Just a belt that electrocutes me when I had powers."

"And she put it on you when you didn't have powers," Sam said, seeing the dilemma.

"Yep," I answered.

"Oh, man," Tucker remarked, slowly.

"Yep," I said again. "3:00 powers back, 3:01 shock of my life, 3:02 shock that ends my life. Thank goodness I managed another way."

"Well, it's late," Sam said. "We'll start working on this tomorrow."

I hesitated. I still hadn't had time to go to the free clinic in Elemerton and after last night, I wanted to do it even more. "Actually, let's wait until after school. Another day won't hurt."

School went back in session Monday as always and the day was pretty normal. I had to be excused four times the entire day and caught nine ghosts. When school ended, Sam, Tuck and I went home to work on my powers. After a few hours of practice, Tucker suggested we hit a new place in town.

"What is it," I asked, not recalling a grand opening.

"It's called Floody Waters," Tucker remarked. "It's an indoor water park. They say the water is warm and the heaters are on so it feels warm. It's like a piece of summer to escape the winter from."

The idea interested me. We decided to take a break and go check it out. However, my fun ended before it even began with the attack of Johnny 13's shadow. All in all, it was a very fun week. What wasn't fun was that Sunday.

I was watching over the mall area since it was Sunday and the mall was usually very active. I hadn't seen a ghost all day and it felt like it was going to shape up to a very good weekend. However, as I flew over a portion of the mall that had low traffic, I saw something out of the corner of my eye. This something was floating so I knew it had to be one of two things. The glow told me it wasn't decorations.

"Hello, Daniel," it addressed me. My throat and the lump met again. Not today. Why show up today of all days? "It's time for us to have some time."

I panicked, triggering my sonic speed. I hoped to escape just far enough away that I could get away but the direction I was traveling in ended where Vlad was. I tried another and the same there. Everywhere I turned, a Vlad stood there until my trap was set. Vlad grabbed my arm but I didn't pull. I had lost.

I felt my stomach lurch again as Vlad transported me to his castle. I fell over in a bedroom, my world spinning. Vlad looked at me disappointedly. After a few seconds, I stood and changed back into Danny Fenton. I pulled my shirt over my head and removed my pants and boxers. I left them scattered on the floor, standing with my arms behind my back.

"I warned you not to run from me," Vlad said, anger in his voice.

"I panicked," I replied simply. I didn't feel like arguing. I just wanted to get this over with.

"Do not do that again," Vlad added in a harsh tone. I saw a glow enter my peripheral vision. A hard and electrifying object busted me in the face, sending me flying backwards. I laid crumpled up on the floor.

Vlad sent an energy beam that more resembled a snake than anything else, the beam bringing me back to my feet. I landed there, not fighting or showing defiance. Vlad sent another blast my way, this time the way it's normally used. I covered my face but did nothing more.

After Vlad finished raping me, he pulled out of my anus and proceeded to leave the bed. I pulled my knees to me, holding them in place on the bed. "Roll over on your back and pull your knees to you," Vlad ordered out of my sight.

I rolled over, the pain no longer present. I knew it wouldn't last long. I pulled my knees to me, praying Vlad would return me soon.

I felt a blunt object come into contact with my sensitive area and I screamed again. No matter how many times Vlad touched it… no matter how often Vlad placed objects in it, the site still hurt like hell. Vlad began to push the object in the area.

I screamed, commanding my knees to stay still. I didn't want to anger Vlad but I also knew if I struggled, the pain would only grow. I pressured my hands on my knees, pushing so hard I felt the bone snap. I continued to scream but not from my leg. The tears stung my eyes and the pain only grew in intensity. I just can't figure that area out and I don't understand the injuries I get with Vlad.

Vlad rose back up, stating: "You can sit up now." I didn't want to but I pushed myself in a sitting position. The minute I was vertical, I could feel the object protruding at my insides.

"Do you know why you are receiving this punishment," Vlad asked me. It was a punishment, I wondered to myself. I thought this was just him being Vlad. "No," Vlad answered my observation. "You broke one of the rules this week. Can you tell me which one it was?"

My mind went blank. I hadn't a clue as to what Vlad was talking about. The only thing that happened this week out of the ordinary was Johnny 13 and his shit. Wait a minute…

"Bingo," Vlad said. "You didn't know from the beginning that Katrina had overshadowed the young lady. You cannot use the excuse that you were doing it for your town. You dated someone else though you knew that was a blatant violation of the rules. Now, you will pay for your insubordination."

Crap, I thought to myself. It had happened so quickly. 'Paulina' had 'discovered' my secret that evening and by the next day before lunch I had been deemed her boyfriend. It was a dream come true and I never imagined it would cause me such a nightmare. And now this!

"Well, regardless of how it started, you still disobeyed a clear rule. I gave no leeway in that item. You are not to be seeing anyone other than me," Vlad informed me. Ha! I don't consider what we 'have' as anything I cherish. However, I did make a mistake.

"How long must I go with this," I asked, hoping he would tell me that he'd remove it before the night was over. Tomorrow school started back up.

"Precisely," Vlad informed me. "I could have picked any time to punish you. Why do you I believe I selected today?"

"To make my life miserable," I answered. God, please tell me he'll remove this thing sometime this week!

"All right, get dressed. I'll take you home," Vlad told me. I sighed miserably. Here goes nothing.

When I made it home, I curled up in a ball knowing it had started. Now any time he wanted me, he'd come and get me without hesitation. I cried, knowing that this would be my life. I struggled with the object, trying to make myself more comfortable. That slot made anything touching it my personal arch nemeses.

XXX

If I thought fighting ghosts and vying for the attention of our peers was hard before, I never took into consideration what it would be like with an object inserted in a very pain-absorbing place. I went each time my ghost sense went off but my moves were slower, creating a messy and drawn-out situation. Monday turned out to be Martin Luther King Day so I had an unplanned extra day to try to cope with the object but it would do little to help.

That night, I stared at a blank sheet of paper wrestling with the pain and my faulty memory. I had an extra day to complete my homework but I couldn't remember whether the Mayflower was a cookie or a pastry but for some reason I had to write an essay as to what it represented in America today. How the hell should I know?

Downstairs, I heard a commotion going on so I decided to have a closer look. I didn't plan on finishing this stupid assignment anyway. As I neared the top of the stairs, I could hear Mom Number Two downstairs. Mom and Dad were arguing.

"Maddie, I swear I saw it before my headlights illuminated it. It had to have been a ghost," Mom Number Two declared.

"Alice, you were just scared and you don't remember clearly. How could it have been a ghost," Mom asked. Well, this is new.

"How about the fact that we live in a haunted town," Mom Number Two defended, angrily. "All the times that you accused something of being a ghost and I never believed it and now it's the other way around!"

"I have to agree with Mads, Alice," Dad said. "It doesn't sound very plausible."

"Coming from the man who was convinced that the mailman was a ghost because he delivered the mail through the door," Mom accused Dad of his most embarrassing moment.

Dad's voice went high, "I didn't know Maddie installed a door mail slot!"

"I know what I saw. That curve was too sharp for my lights to have hit it properly. It had to have been glowing," Mom Number Two declared. I tended to agree with her. I went back to my room.

As curfew came and I was in lockdown, Vlad teleported into my room. I glanced up at him, my anger there but my shame drowning it before it could surface. "It was you, wasn't it," I asked, my head cast downward.

"And if you run again, the damage will be worse," Vlad answered me. I stood up from my bed and walked over to Vlad. "Where are your books," Vlad asked me.

"On my desk," I answered, confused. "Why?"

"The ghost hunting is really bringing down your grades," Vlad answered. "I want to talk to a tutor tomorrow."

I pointed to my desk with my book bag on top. Vlad dragged me over to it, picked it up and teleported us out. Before he took me home the next morning, Vlad 'copied' my books using his ecto-energy. He also added speed to the device.

The next day I entered into the Nasty Burger to find Tucker pacing the restaurant's floor along the back wall. Noticing Tucker's unusual behavior, I painfully jogged to where he was, grabbing his arm to stop his ranting march. "Hey, what's going on," I asked, concerned.

"Sam's not here," Tucker stated, his green eyes penetrating mine. "I tried calling her. It went to voicemail."

I looked to where we usually sit to find the table empty save for Tucker's stuff. This was not like Sam at all. Sam was the kind of girl that when she was five minutes late, we knew something was up. It was now 6:15 and she hadn't made it. My fifteen-minute truancy was nothing unusual for the times but Sam had become more punctual in the past quarter.

"You said you tried calling her," I asked for clarification.

"Yes," Tucker said, bringing his hands up to his head in worry. I took hold of his hand again, staring him in the eye.

"We'll find her, Tuck." Tucker's look told me he had his doubts.

We hit the streets and checked all the public places we could but nothing seemed to turn up results. As I passed the park, I picked up something with my hearing. I led Tucker to the sound only to be surprised. Sam was sitting at our old secret hiding spot and she looked horrible.

Tuck and I rushed over to her, sitting down beside her on the ground. Snow covered the ground in a fresh blanket, but she ignored the cold and sat there in just her usual clothes. Sam came crashing down upon me and I was quick to transform back into a human so not to freeze her anymore.

"Sam, what's wrong," I asked, terrified.

"I stopped them," she said, her voice broken, "but I couldn't believe they tried."

"Who," I asked. "What?"

"The C-crew," Sam answered. "Th-they, they…"

I knew that look. I've been wearing it for more than a month now. "They tried to rape you," I said, my voice breaking.

Tucker's worried face snapped up in complete surprise.

Sam cried into my shoulder, her body trembling from the heartbreak. I held her, tears of my own falling with hers. Soon, Tucker held onto her as well and cried his own tears. We sat like this for hours, crying.

I took Sam home with me and snuck her in my room. She didn't want to go home and she didn't want anyone to know. I could understand that. I gently placed her on my bed, grabbing an extra blanket to wrap around her shoulders. Sam clung to the fabric as if it were some kind of protection.

"We have to tell someone," Tucker replied in a whisper that no normal person could pick up. He knew how sensitive my ears had gotten and if he wanted to talk to me without including anyone else, it was simple enough.

I shook my head, "It's her choice, Tucker. If she doesn't want to tell anyone, then she should be able to make that call."

Tucker looked at me as if I had betrayed him, "How could you say that? Someone tried to rape Sam, Danny! Are you processing this at all or is your brain fried!"

"I get it, okay," I hissed quietly. If anyone got it, it was me! "But I also know how Sam is! I want to protect her and we have a way of doing that better than anyone else. What could the courts or police department do for her that we couldn't?"

"Maybe arrest the bastards that did this," Tucker shot back. I looked to Sam, watching her stare off into a direction. My blood boiled. I wanted to find the bastards that made her that way and skin them alive, letting them know what an evil Danny Phantom would be like. He sure as hell wouldn't hold a mayor hostage or shoot a harmless blasts at a couple buffoons.

"Tuck, just trust me on this. Sam doesn't need any more pressure. She's hurting as it is," I said, calming my rage down. I couldn't focus on what was happening in my town concerning my name. I shuttered, then grew angry at myself for getting off focus. The horrible nickname I had inadvertently earned, Invisobill, was insignificant at this point in time.

Tucker looked between the door and Sam. He stared at the door for a long time and I thought maybe he might ignore my advice but he sighed, resigning. I placed my hand around his shoulders, knowing Tucker was torn. I couldn't blame him. He had to be thinking that neither of us knew what to expect in this situation.

"Come on, Tuck," I replied, pulling him along with me. "Sam needs us," I told him. Tuck nodded. I went around the bed as Tucker prepared to climb in behind Sam. "Tell her you're there before you go to touch her," I informed him.

Tuck looked at me questionably, but proceeded anyway, "Sam."

Sam looked up from her position on the bed. Tucker climbed in the bed and scooted close to her. I took that time to bend down to look her in the eye. "Sam," I said my own warning.

I came in the bed as well and wrapped my arms around her. Sam's head fell upon my chest as she clung to me. Tucker also wrapped his arms around Sam and we both held her tightly.

"We're here, Sam. No one else is going to hurt you, sweetheart," I told her softly.

"Thank you," Sam said, her voice soft. She was holding it together but you had to know Sam to know how much this was affecting her. Sam was just as disturbed as I had been and I knew that was okay. Sam was human, after all.

Vlad didn't come that night and I didn't know if I was lucky or Vlad knew what was going on. It didn't matter if he showed up or not, I wasn't going. My friend needed me.

The next morning at school, I followed the boys' notorious with the C-crew into a hallway. "Well, well, well," the leader, Gary, mocked. "Isn't it little wimpy Danny Fenton."

"If you had something to do with what happened to Sam, you'll be thinking wimpy," I said coldly.

"Something happen to your bitch," Gary asked, then faked a slip up, "I mean friend."

I stepped closer, "If you hurt her like I think you did and I ever find proof, I will make you eat those words."

"So what if I said it was me," Gary said. He patted his two friends in the gut. "I didn't expect the girl to be that strong."

I grabbed Gary by the shirt, slamming him into the wall. "You'd better shut up right now if it wasn't you!"

"Danny," I heard Tucker call from behind me. I dropped Gary to the ground.

"Yeah, better listen to your nigger friend," Gary quipped, "While he's still recognizable."

Any doubts I had to the responsible party vaporized. I picked him up, this time slamming him into the wall so hard it cracked. "You come near either one of them again, and you'll be the one unrecognizable."

Gary coughed, the wind knocked out of him. One of his friends took a swing at me. I ducked the pathetic punch, dropping Gary to the ground in a crumpled mess, and delivered one of my own. The boy fell to the ground unconscious. Gary's other friend tried to get me while I sent his friend flying but Tucker caught the boy's hand. Tucker decked him, slamming him against the wall. When the boy looked up dazed, Tucker turned around and elbowed him right in the windpipe.

"You hurt any of my friends again, and we won't be so nice," Tucker said, walking away. The boy Tuck fought passed out from the pain. I walked away, uncaring what happened to the bastards.

At the intersection of this hallway and the main hallway, Sam stared in. "Are they the ones who did it," I asked her gently. Sam nodded her head, her shoulders standing squared. Sam had let out all the pain and frustration last night and now she was back to her self-declared impenetrable self.

Friday, I learned the same three boys who had tried to rape Sam attacked Tucker. Of course, Tucker enjoyed their challenge, kicking their asses all the way back to Axion Labs. When Tucker came into the Nasty Burger that afternoon, he told us in absolute delight how they had challenged him. While Tucker enjoyed the fight, Sam and I were pissed. I went to the bank the next afternoon and sold a baseball card. After writing the check for Beth, I would need more cash for what I planned to do.

I returned from a gun supplier I knew from my work with the division to find Vlad in my room. He didn't stay, only removed the device.

On Monday, I met the three boys. They offered a proposal that made me laugh out loud. Gary had the nerve to ask me to say I tampered with the case involving their fathers and they'd leave Sam and Tucker alone. When I refused, they tried to rough me up. They couldn't touch me and I didn't touch them. However, as they were beginning to realize they were outmatched, I spoke up. "You don't get it, do you," I asked Gary. "My guys are stronger than your guys. You tried to rape Sam and she beat your ass. You tried to beat Tucker and he came to the Nasty Burger talking about it like he got a new toy. Here you are trying to beat me but you're so far from even touching me you may be on the moon as far as I know. Give it up! So what you're fathers' are going to prison. That's what happens to bad people. If you come after another one of my people again, I mean it, I won't be nice. You can come after me all you want, I don't care but if you come after Sam or Tucker again and you may wake up in the Ghost Zone."

Gary's two friends tried to pin me in a tackle and I stepped back, allowing them to sack each other. I walked off, having not touched them once.

That evening, I met up with Sam and Tucker. They weren't suspicious at all when I came into the Nasty Burger at six-thirty. We hit the streets, picking up the usual suspects and a few others who had discovered the portal. I couldn't quite figure out how I was going to convince them to carry those pistols. I had picked up two Derringers Friday evening for Sam and Tucker but I knew they wouldn't see them as necessary as I.

XXX

I had a lot on my mind as of late. There was the ghost increase in the evenings and not to mention the late-night ghosts. I had an alarming amount of ghost invasions between the hours of six and twelve but after twelve until nearly seven, I was constantly having to leave my room. I left for school at seven-fifteen. Then there was Vlad, struggling with his demands as both a master, a 'parental' figure, and a teacher. Vlad was constantly on me to improve my sex performance, my attitude and my education, both in human and spectral academics.

And of course, I can't forget about my parents. I had improved significantly in suppressing my moodiness, depression and outbursts. I still felt horrible and the such, but my bouts with the ghosts made it easier to put that frustration elsewhere. However, my parents hadn't forgotten my slip up in my moment of weakness. Any male seen in the same vicinity as I was under constant unscrupulous attention. Mom and Dad had hoped just keeping an eye on me in the public would chase away my attacker.

However, as time has passed and I have begun to get better in their eyes, they're beginning to wonder if the man has left or if I am becoming more under his control. Mom and Dad have been having discussions about multiple preventive measures, all terrifying. They've thought about pulling me from school, Mom mentioning that it's a prime place for abuse to happen. They've been talking about putting a device on me that would send not only GPS coordinates, but live feed. They've thought about putting a tail on me. All of this could spell disaster for both my identity and Vlad's patients. The last thing I want is for Vlad to say I've been here enough.

Vlad found Mom's attitude towards him very frustrating after the DALV incident. He would have forgiven her for storming out that night but when she returned to play with his emotions, he has completely denied having feelings for her anymore. That would be great news except for two little details: he may find her obsolete and he may find keeping up appearances pointless. I am constantly on the lookout for something that may cause Vlad to say that I'm coming with him. He's always telling me how he wished I was with him all the time.

"Hey, D," I heard Tucker exclaim, chuckling slightly. "Earth to Danny!"

I snapped up, noticing that we had arrived at Sam's house and I had stupidly walked right past it. I chuckled as well, "Sorry. Lost in thought."

"That's all right," Sam remarked, looking at me. Please, Sam, don't start worrying about me. You have enough problems. "Are you all right?"

I sighed, "Yeah," I told her. "Why are you worried about me?"

"Because," Sam said, looking me in the eyes, "You've seemed to believe that we've forgotten about your meltdown after that trip to Vlad's."

I looked away from that penetrating stare. She had a way of seeing into my soul and reading me like a book when she did that. When they got me thinking about that week, though, I was a short read. "I know you guys haven't forgotten about it. I haven't either. I just wish you guys would stop bringing it up all the time. It's over."

"You didn't seem to believe it'd ever end that week," Tucker remarked, now getting on the bandwagon.

"I was just scared," I told them some of the truth. "I understand it a lot better now. I'm okay and there's nothing to worry about."

"That's what you want everyone to believe," Sam remarked. "But I've developed a new theory and I don't like what it's been telling me."

I thought about turning around her stare was so potent but I stood still. I had to remember my training and keep it looking natural. Sam could be the one to guess what was going on. I don't believe anyone else would because only she and I have been there.

"You want us to walk you up," I remarked, changing the subject.

Sam chuckled, humorously. Tucker spoke up, "I found nothing funny about that comment!"

"Well, I did," Sam said, ending her laughter. "Why would you guys believe I would need walking to my room? They're not going to be in my house!"

Talk about someone denying anything ever happened. You couldn't convince Sam she was in danger that evening. She refuses to talk about it and sometimes tries to say she doesn't even think about it anymore. Neither one of them know how well I understand that kind of hurt so neither one of them can hide how they feel to me.

"Goodnight, boys," Sam said, turning to go inside. I sighed, wanting to stay put but knowing that I was just paranoid. After all, most rapes only occur once. Mine is an exception of the rule.

I walked Tucker home then continued on to my house. I made it home just five minutes after curfew, infuriating Mom and Dad, again. They keep telling me that this is becoming a problem, but they act like it's the first time each time. I sat in the living room, getting lectured by Mom and Dad again.

"Look," I defended. "I tried to get home on time but it never works. Why are you guys making such a big fuss about this?"

"Because someone is out there hurting you and I have no idea who he is," Mom declared. It wasn't a sudden outburst. I'd heard it before.

"I've told you," I stated, aggravated, "There's no one hurting me! I overreacted that week. Nothing is going on!"

"Danny," Mom cut in, her voice level, "I saw you. I watched you crumble before my eyes and I watched you suffer for weeks after that. You're still suffering but you pretend to be fine. I still hear you wake up with nightmares!"

This did catch me by surprise. It was true that I had been having frequent nightmares but they weren't the normal ones. I was having a lot of pathetic dreams lately and every time I wake up, I come back to live (sorta) so to speak. When I go into a pathetic dream, I tap into a power that is reserved for full ghosts. My grandfather (Mom's dad) has pathetic dreams and he told me that when I start a dream, my vitals shut down. So when I wake up, I come to with a sharp intake of breath.

"Mom," I stuttered, trying desperately to cover this one up. It actually didn't have anything to do with Vlad but with another big secret of mine. Damn, I have too many secrets to keep track of.

"So why don't you just tell us about this man," Dad replied over my stuttering. "You know you can trust us."

"But it's not what you think," I stuttered out in one breath. "It's not about that!"

"Then what is up with these horrible dreams," Mom asked me, crossing her arms.

They weren't all horrible. It's just that I come to with a sharp breath and it sounds like I'm gasping in fear. If she saw that, she'd understand. Then another thought occurred to me… if she watched me sleep, she'd surely freak when I'd go thirty-or-more minutes without breathing.

"…" I opened my mouth but my mind froze. I couldn't come up with a plausible explanation but I couldn't just drop it either. If she ever did venture into my room, I'd be toast.

"Just talk to us," Dad tried again. Oh, crap, I'm stuck.

"I don't know what to say," I reluctantly admitted. "I'm in a shithole here and I don't know how to get myself out without stepping in it."

Mom chuckled, well past the shock of my cussing. I never curbed it. Vlad stole a lot from me and my pristine mouth was one of them.

"Just begin talking, son," Dad informed me.

"I did get into a lot of trouble," I spoke softly, praying I wouldn't get anyone hurt or taken for this. "I—I was…" I trailed off. I took a shaky breath, trying to calm myself but it didn't work. I hadn't spoke about being raped to anyone except Vlad, Brit and the clinic. I had told Brit about my 'nightmares' after the reunion and I'd went to the free clinic in Elemerton for a check-up.

Flashback

I sat in the waiting room, my body slumped and my arms covering my head with the magazine I wasn't really reading. This was a really bad idea, I thought to myself for the umpteenth time. However, I had no choice. I needed to have myself checked for anything wrong with me from the rape and I didn't have a whole lot of choices. I couldn't do those tests myself and anywhere else, parental notification would be required not to mention police involvement.

"Daniel," the woman called from the door. I carted their magazine away with me, placing the article over my head. The last thing I wanted was to be recognized here of all places. If Mom found out… he, well, she may tear me apart molecule by molecule just to reconstruct me again.

The woman put a blood-pressure cuff on my arm and I chuckled nervously, definitely not finding anything funny: "How high does this pressure reader go?"

The woman chuckled, "High enough."

"I doubt it," I said. "I'm pretty stressed."

The woman initiated the cuff and I felt the bag inflate. A moment later, the woman let out a sound of confusion. "It's not taking."

I chuckled nervously, "Well, I'm sure it's fine. That's not why I'm here anyway."

"Okay," the woman answered, turning off the machine. "Let's weigh you."

I inwardly groaned this time. The minute she checked my height-to-weight ratio, she'd freak. Perhaps, the chart wouldn't even be necessary if my luck managed to stay firm.

I stood on the scale and the woman balanced the scales. After a moment, sure enough she squeaked: "That can't be right."

"Must be malfunctioned, too," I tried to get away with it.

"No, no, no," the woman refused to believe it. "This machine is absolutely functioning properly. You just weigh a paltry 95 pounds!"

Oh, shoot, I thought to myself, she'd really freak if I didn't have this oversized shirt and jeans on. I hardly eat anymore and the only consequences from my malnutrition is an extremely tiny frame and weight. The most meat on my bones was actually muscle.

"Look, I just need to talk to someone about why I'm here and I'll go. I know all this and it's nothing to worry about," I replied.

"Kid," the woman said, "you are way too thin for your height. You should be gaining weight as you shoot up but it appears you're only shooting up."

"Please listen to me," I pleaded, "I have more pressing issues."

The woman asked sarcastically, "Like what?"

"I was raped," I informed her, casting my eyes downward. I heard her breath catch in her voice. The clinic got a lot of weird cases but rarely were they of the criminal manner. "I can't go to anyone about this. For crying out loud, my mom's a doctor but if I tell her then I may be taken from my home. I'm scared, though. This man has had multiple… partners in the past and I'm afraid I may have something.

"I'm so sorry," the woman cried, obviously distraught.

I shook it off, "It's nothing. I can't do anything about it but I'd like to know ahead of time if I contract herpes or something."

A few minutes later, the doctors had come in to test me for all possible STDs. However, what I hadn't counted on was the drawing of blood.

"Is that necessary," I asked, fearful.

"I'm afraid it is," the doctor replied, kindly. "We must use a needle."

"It's not the needle I'm afraid of," I spoke softly. "I can't have you guys drawing blood from me without knowing some things."

I could hear the woman from before gasp in surprise, "What now?"

"Well," I started off, shakily. I'm about to have my blood tested and my secret may come out. "How many of you guys are from Amity or know what's going off over there?"

The doctor shook her head, "Well," she began, "most of us are from Amity and the rest know about the ghosts if that's what you're talking about."

I took a shaky breath, trying to calm myself. "Well, four and a half months ago I was involved in a bit of an accident. I can't give you specifics but I can say it changed me. I've got a high tolerance to pain, a low appetite, a metabolism that would surprise anyone and my vitals are screwed up." I looked to the woman, "The blood pressure monitor wasn't messed up… it just wouldn't go that high."

"Okay," the doctor said slowly, processing it. "Why do I feel like you're about to say something about your blood."

"You're better than I," I laughed, embarrassed. "I forgot to mention that my blood will be different than everyone else's. It'll have ectoplasm in it."

"Ectoplasm," another girl cried, surprised.

"Yeah," I said, feeling my adrenaline pumping. I was terrified. I'd never told anyone who had access to my daily lives my secret before. I didn't want to completely reveal it here, either. "You can't tell anyone this. My life depends on it."

"We couldn't," the doctor replied. "We are bound by the laws of Amity Park from which we were created."

"That's why I'm here."

End Flashback

They hadn't discovered that I was half ghost but they were darn close. My test results had come back negative, which I was thankful for. I looked to Mom and Dad, trying to summon the strength to tell them I was being raped but not tell them who. However, my body and my fear fought me the entire way.

I could feel my emotions trying to give way. If I didn't force myself to breathe, I'd either pass out from the strain or break down. I didn't want to do either one right now. Mom and Dad looked on, expectantly, and added more pressure to my already boiling emotions. "I—," I started again but the words caught in my throat.

"Take your time, honey," Mom told me. I know she was just trying to calm me down but it was too late for that.

I slumped over in the chair, placing my elbows on my knees and taking my head in my hands. I tried focusing on breathing some more but it was as if my lungs had taken a vacation. "I can't do this," I said, my voice cracking. "I don't know how!"

Mom stood up from her spot on the couch and gently made her way over to the chair where I was. She bent down, bringing herself down to my level. "Honey, just breathe," Mom said calmly.

"I don't know how," I stated again, more urgency in my voice this time. "I'm trying to deal. I want to tell you. I don't want to keep this face up. I hate how this makes me feel! One minute, I'm moody, the next I'm emotional. I flip-flop between so many emotions at one time, even I don't know what I'll be doing next. I don't know what to do!"

"Just trust in us, son," Dad commented, still sitting on the couch.

"How can I do that," I asked, sharper than I intended. "I mean, how can I expect to put a burden on you that I myself can't carry."

"You're just a teenager, Danny," Mom stated softly. "We've been through what you're going through. We can help you make sense of it all."

I blinked a few times, trying to register what they were saying. "What do you mean you've been through what I've gone through?"

"I mean," Mom began, "Whatever you're going through, it isn't something your father and I haven't done before."

I laughed, and though I tried to make it sound normal I could faintly detect the bitterness. I stood up, walking away from Mom and Dad, trying to control myself and stop this insanity immediately. They don't believe it's anything serious anymore. Just teenage aghast, I believe.

"Danny," Dad asked me as I stood away from them.

"It's nothing," I said. I tried to control my breathing, refusing to think of what would happen if Vlad ever discovered how close I came to spilling the beans. "You're right. You guys made it through whatever your problems were and I'm sure you never asked for help from your parents. I'm just overreacting… again!"

"No, Danny," Mom said, understanding coming to her eyes. "Honey, you're so close. Just tell us what is going off."

"Nothing," I repeated again, turning around. "Nothing at all."

XXX

The day began like any ordinary Tuesday. I came to my feet, stretching after the pathetic 3 hours of sleep I got. Every 20 minutes it seemed, I'd wake up shivering. I wonder if sleeping with a heating blanket would help matters any?

I came downstairs and grabbed my box of cereal. I poured a bowl of apple jacks to notice that I only had enough for one more bowl. I put the box back over top the refrigerator and marked down cereal on the grocery list. No matter if I'm hungry or not, I try to eat at least something every day. Sometimes, I don't get another chance to.

I started for the door when I saw Jazz heading out. Surprised, I looked to my watch to notice in fact she wasn't late, I was early.

"Hey, Danny," Jazz called in the tone of voice she's been sporting towards me lately. "Wanna ride to school?"

Well, I thought to myself as I looked to my watch again, I have time. "Sure," I accepted, picking up my book bag. Jazz's smile grew brighter.

XXX

We walked through the doors of Casper High, our journeys about to part due to the grade difference. "Thanks for the ride, Jazz. You know, it's nice to slip into school silently and anonymously instead of riding the bus," I commented to her. Of course, it was just for show. I haven't rode the bus in ages.

"You're welcome, Danny," Jazz smiled at me. The warning lights began to flash and a female voice came over the loudspeaker, announcing: "Ghost alert, ghost alert!"

Jazz grabbed me by my shirt, "Danny, hide!"

I stared at her in shock, her reaction causing me to actually not have one. "Why," I asked her. I knew why I should hide; how did she!

Jazz dropped my shirt, a look of worry crossing her face: "That's an excellent question!"

I noticed my two friends walking over to me and I decided to leave my crazy brilliant sister alone. "What's going on," I asked. Surely someone must know what was happening.

"They're running ghost drills now," Sam said, pulling her book bag over her shoulder. She retrieved a piece of paper from her bag, holding it up to me: "Didn't you get the memo?"

And horrifically, I heard a sound I never want to hear in public: "Ghost! You kids stay back. I got the memo and I know there's a ghost here!" Dad was in the Fenton peeler. As if things couldn't get any worse, Mr. Lancer came walking down the hall in this mask.

"Ooh," he said, actually making what Box Ghost does seem scary. "I am a ghost!" Yep, he even sounds like him!

"Dad, no," Jazz cried.

I caught on to the trouble too, "It's not a ghost! It's an out-of-shape teacher in a mask!"

"We'll see about that, son," Dad called. "Eat Fenton peeler, spook!"

And just like that, I received detentions for the rest of my unnatural life. Dad shot the beam at Lancer and because he wasn't a ghost, it did nothing to him… personally. The peeler shredded his clothes and I imagine it might have scared the shit out of him.

"I can't give you detention!" Mr. Lancer looked away from Dad to Jazz & I, "But someone named Fenton here is staying after school!" Well, duh, I thought to myself. I've been staying after school for months. I'm still serving time for the busted beakers!

"Wow," Dad and Jazz declared dramatically, "Look at the time!" I swore I felt wind kick up in their hasty retreat.

"Mr. Lancer," Sam started. "It was an accident… and Danny had nothing to do with it!"

"Miss Manson, I understand that you just want to help your friend," Mr. Lancer started, trailing off.

"Yes, and my family does contribute nice stacks of money to our fine school that helps balloon your year-end bonus," Sam commented quickly, as to not draw attention to herself.

"Yes, and our school does appreciate that thoughtful contribution every year, Miss Manson. You know, on second thought, perhaps I did act hastily," Mr. Lancer replied. "I'll see you for unrelated reasons after school, Mr. Fenton. I apologize for being quick to blame you. Excuse me."

Tucker chuckled as Mr. Lancer backed away, holding the portrait of President Washington over his frontal parts. "He sure knows how to milk it, don't he?"

"Thanks, Sam," I remarked, grateful.

"Don't mention it," Sam remarked, swinging her book bag back over her back.

"Any chance you'd help me out like that," Tucker asked with a cheeky grin, "Or is that only reserved for Danny because you have a crush on him?"

Sam stomped down on Tucker's foot, him crying out painfully. I tried not to look hurt at Sam's blatant rejection of my feelings. However, we three walked off in the direction of our first period class.

XXX

After Detention, I decided to fly home instead of walking because of all the books I had with me. Mr. Lancer may have let me off the hook with what Dad did detention wise, but he sure laid it on me with extra assignments. Great, just what I need! It's not like Vlad isn't out there right now hunting me a private tutor 'worthy' of my time.

I walked into the lab, hearing Jazz scolding Dad about busting in on our school. Dad made the comment about if I thought I was in trouble now and brought up the lab's conditions. I know I haven't been cleaning the lab but it's not like I've been blowing it off. I have ghost fighting, school work and a master to please… I'm very busy.

"And it'll be six more by the time I finish all this extra work Lancer assigned me," I commented, dropping the bag on the floor with a thump. I rubbed my shoulder, mock aching playing out. "Dad, are you familiar with the term 'stay-away-from-my-school?'" I tried to calm myself down but I've got enough problems going on right now.

"Sweetie, relax," Mom said, pulling her helmet away from her face so we wouldn't have a repeat from when I was younger. Gee, Mom, I'm not four anymore. I won't mistake you for a mother-eating alien anymore! "You know your Dad loves you and he doesn't mean to make your life more difficult."

I went to comment, but something caught my attention. I turned up the volume as to not sound crazy when I heard the nearly mute television set. "The hunt is on for the ghost boy," Harriet Chin announced at her new job as anchor-woman on Channel 44, replacing Brett Turner.

"What," I shouted, completely blown away. What had I done now?

"As a result of this morning's ghost drill at Casper High, a need for more competent, not-Jack-Fenton, ghost hunters is being called for," Harriet reported. I felt the blood in my veins boil. My dad is not incompetent!

"More competent ghost hunter," My dad asked, clearly confused. "What's that supposed to mean," he asked. As if by some cruel fate, the weapon he was working on exploded. If that made him incompetent, then there were many of us out there that fit the bill.

"Luckily," Harriet continued, "a mysterious benefactor has placed a million dollar bounty on the head of the most infamous ghost in town."

A million dollars, I thought to myself. I must be worth a lot then! However, I started the countdown, glancing at Mom out of the corner of my eye as she done so too: "Five, four, three, two."

"If anybody captures that ghost boy, it's going to be me," Dad exclaimed, waving a gun around like some kind of mad man. That's my dad. He knocked over a stack of poorly lined-up boxes. "Danny, clean that up!" Gee, Dad, I'll just ask my master for more time to do house chores!

I smiled despite myself anyway, seeing Mom smile the same one as I wore. I looked to Jazz and she too wore a similar smile.

XXX

The next morning came early and I decided to go have a peek at what was going off with the gathering. I pulled Sam and Tucker from our classes today for business and ventured down to the Nasty Burger. Sam stared at me in shock as she saw the sign welcoming the freak parade.

"Aren't you worried, Danny," Sam asked me after a moment to compose herself. "These are supposed to be the best known ghost hunters."

Precisely! "Sam," I said, speaking in a bored tone yet slightly amused. I couldn't wait to see how this would turn out. "They're the best known, they're not the best!"

"Well, I know that," Sam shot back playfully. "We didn't sign up!"

"Well, let's see," I commented, smiling at her comment. "The Groovy Gang and their scaredy cat," I commented, locating them on the property. "Basically, your Scooby Doo generation refusing to grow up."

Sam burst out laughing, seeing the tall, lanky man with blond hair and the chubby girl with a short red hairdo. If they weren't parodies of the mystery cartoon, nobody was!

"Then," I said, scanning the parking lot, "Oh, yes. The infamous Ghost Breakers. Two morons with weapons to match. They're a part of the generation that the movie Ghostbusters created." I said the next part slowly, "The worst thing that ever happened to Division G."

"Who are they," Sam asked, looking at the two biggest idiots on the parking lot. They were the worst mistake Division G made!

"The Guys in White," I commented, my voice dripping in disgust. "A group created by Division G to monitor ghostly activity. They shouldn't even be here. They're not authorized to hunt, just observe. The division didn't make a complete fool of themselves."

"Guys in White," Sam asked, horrorstricken.

"Play on words," I told her, watching how the Ghost Breaker's motorcycle went speeding through a mud hole and splashed a few specks of dirt on their suits. They acted as if a security post had been breached. "The rumors about Men in Black had been hitting an all-time high so the current Director created a team to scout and made their uniforms white and named them Guys in White. They're a bunch of idiots who have allowed the fact that the division created them personally go to their heads. They're a bunch of rebel punks."

"Sounds like someone else I know," Sam kidded.

I didn't laugh, "Nowhere near as bad as they are."

A honk of a horn brought me from my thoughts and I saw the RV pull up, Dad nearly running into the Ghost Breaker's transportation. Hey, I never said he was a perfect driver! The group converged around the set-up table to receive their tips and orders from whomever wanted me dead. Meanwhile, Tucker started telling us about his latest get-rich scam.

"If they are truly a bunch of idiots, then you won't have any problem with this," Tucker said, pulling a white sheet over his head. "Thanks to Danny, we know every ghosts' hiding spot in town. Tucker's Boo-Yea Tours are bound to be a hit. Boo-yea," Tucker said, making a highly stereotyped viewpoint of ghosts.

I was about to scold him for playing into the bed sheet fantasy when Tucker was suddenly covered in green goo. I looked up, wondering what idiot just attacked my friend when I felt humiliation slowly killing me.

"I got him! Me, Jack Fenton," Dad called triumphantly. "Danny Fenton's father!" Why me?

Tucker pulled the sheet over his head, a look of complete humiliation on his face, "I'm not going to grow a third arm, am I?" The group started to laugh at my dad. I covered my face shamefully.

"In hindsight, maybe dressing as a ghost in a parking-lot full of ghost hunters wasn't the best idea," I heard Sam chide him from behind my fingers.

A sudden chill overcame me and suddenly my fun turned serious. Why here? I just wanted to kick back and laugh as the real buffoons try to find me while I stayed right under their noses. If a ghost was attacking, things could get ugly fast.

I heard a caw scream out and something swooped from the sky above. I didn't see it but Dad declared he had the home field advantage. Knock yourself out!

The fishing line caught the ghost and I noticed it immediately. It was one of the vultures from before, the ones that work for Vlad. However, just because they're here doesn't mean they're working for Vlad. When Dad slammed into the Nasty Burger order-out sign, Sam grew desperate.

"Danny, do something," Sam cried.

"What do you want me to do," I asked, frustrated that she'd even suggest I step in. "I can't go ghost around here. Besides, it's not like anyone's in any real danger," I said. Just as I was thinking about how even they were harmless, the two others swooped down and picked up Sam and Tucker, carting them away. "And now they are," I replied stupidly.

I snuck off, trying to find a place to go ghost. Oh, how stupid I was to believe I could get away with this. I transformed and took off in the directions the birds took my friends, right over all the ghost hunters head. I heard all the others exclaim: "Ghost!"

I was a mere inch from my friends when something grabbed me by my throat. I gasped out, once again finding despite the fact I don't need air I can be thrown off by that simple action. I hit the top of a building hard and when I felt the impact, I knew what to expect. The only time I feel the pain is when he's around.

"Plasmius," I asked, seeking him out. I spotted him floating about 80 feet above me. "What are you doing here?" Don't you usually come during the nighttime, I added mentally.

Plasmius pretended to think things over, "Hmm, let me think. There's a million dollars on your head, your father looks like a fool… what do you think I'm doing here?" Well, not coming to rape me. That's for sure.

"You're the one who hired these idiots," I demanded angrily. I thought he said I was irreplaceable!

"Yes," Vlad answered me simply. He formed something that greatly resembled a flyswatter out of his energy. "All but your father. He's a free idiot!" Vlad smacked me with his creation, sending me careening to the top of a building. I slammed into it purposely. Great! First, he makes me feel like I'm a pesky bug and now he's treating me like one! I flew towards him again but slammed into a wall made of ectoplasm. This is ridiculous!

How many times must I make this clear to the Froot Loop! When he comes after my family, I am no longer his bitch but his archenemy! I came to the air, flying towards Vlad at high speeds. "As much as I'd like to catch up, Plasmius, but shouldn't you be getting home to the love of your life?" Vlad shot a few blasts at me but I easily dodged them. "Oh, that's right," I said, mock surprise in my voice: "Dad married the love of your life. You're bitter and alone!"

I went to throw a punch at him but he caught my hand instead. I didn't have time to react as this jarringly painful electric shock left his body and entered me. I screamed in pain, the bolts coursing through my body and entering my ghostly core. I felt myself slipping but before I transferred back, I noticed Vlad was talking to me.

"At-At-At," Vlad titter-tatted, "We can't have you passing out and changing back to Danny Fenton, now can we? This may be your father's party, but you're the guest of honor! Ta," Vlad said, tossing me to the ground. I screamed as I saw my world crashing around me at speeds I couldn't control. I landed hard on the ground, flipping over head to toe as I landed. I looked up and froze. I was sitting in the middle of every one of the ghost hunters, their weapons locked… and loaded.

**AN: I have chapter companions available at fan fiction dot net slash my forums slash Team 04 Phantom slash 3876657. I do believe I have explained everything to the best of my ability. I post the companions after I have updated a new chapter. For example, Chapter eight's companion will be up after I post chapter nine. That way, if there is anything left unexplained (like the cliffhanger, for example, on chapter two), you can have access to answers. Please, check them out if you are confused but feel free to PM me or review any questions. I do not mind answering them in private messages. It's just that if you have any really stubborn questions and it is on a previously updated chapter, I may have already answered it. If you private message me any questions about the current cliffhanger, I will not answer them. I will have the new chapter up the next day.**

**Please review or private message me with any questions or comments. I love to receive feedback.**

**Team04Phantom**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or Million Dollar Ghost. I don't own Google either but boy would it be awesome. I'd be rich!**

**AN: This story contains rape and male sex. If this disturbs you, please do not read.**

**Chapter Nine: Responsibility**

I didn't have a lot of time. I had to distract them so I could phase out of my tight spot. If I just attempted to phase, I had the threat of having it cut off the way the bear done it two weeks ago. Seeing the cat come on top of me, baring it's teeth, I got an idea. The cat had been traumatized by the ghost program at the camp and had never fully recovered. Having never done this before, I hesitantly replied: "Boo!"

Just as planned, the cat leapt away terrified. I took that moment to flee, phasing through the ground. I came up a piece away to look at the hunters and make sure they were okay. They might be trying to kill me but it's my job to protect them. Besides, it's illegal to endanger a fellow hunter… they just don't know they're breaking the law.

Dad turned his bazooka in my direction and hearing the otherwise faint whine, I took my leave. I didn't want to leave Dad to take the blame for my escape… especially since it had more to do with the other idiots' than him, but I wasn't going to let him shoot me to make him feel better. I flew over to Sam and Tucker.

XXX

Sam, Tuck and I made it to the lab shortly after the incident at the Nasty Burger. I hadn't explained anything to them yet but I knew I had to. They were finally going to meet Plasmius. My mind flashed to my pathetic dream and how my future-self would tell my family that Vlad would stop raping me before they met him. If they've met him today… does that mean that reality is already being disrupted?

"Okay," Sam said, her and Tucker locking me in a corner of the basement. The portal stood to my right. An incessant beeping blared in my eardrums like a freight train. "What is going on?"

"Well," I sighed, "Meet Plasmius."

"That was him," Sam asked surprised. "How did he turn into a vulture? Does he have…"

I chuckled out loud, not expecting her to mistake the ghosts. "No. Plasmius isn't a shape shifter or anything. The vultures are his flunkies. I guess you haven't met Plasmius yet. He's the one who put the bounty on me."

"This guy put a million dollar bounty on you," Tucker asked in shock. "What is he, rich?"

"Yes," I replied. I shook my head, trying to rid the beeping. "He's incredibly wealthy. He robbed banks I think to increase his wealth but I'm not entirely sure. There are a million ways this guy can get his way!"

"So what's the plan," Sam asked me. "I mean his. Does he want you dead so you can't challenge him later… so why put a bounty on you? If he's so powerful, why not do it himself? Does he believe a bunch of idiot hunters can do what he can't?"

"It's not about me," I replied, "Well, not entirely. He's trying to make my dad look incompetent."

I still didn't get the whole picture. Sam was right. There's something I'm missing. The beeping sound continued in the background. Frustrated, I walked over to the beeping ecto-filtrator and slammed my fist angrily down on it. The beeping slurred for a moment from my assault but continued anyway.

"Come on, Danny. You can't tell me your billionaire arch enemy is here just to embarrass your dad," Sam exclaimed, understanding very little about the relationship between Vlad and our family.

"Yes," I cried out. "That and date my mom. I mean did you see the way those ghost hunters were laughing at him," I said. I added the next part sarcastically, "We're all going to have to live with my dad's goof ups for the rest of our lives."

Sam coughed, catching my attention. The beeping drowned nearly everything else out. "He's right behind me, isn't he," I asked, fearful. Anyone hearing that would assume I was serious. I was just stating it the way Vlad wants me to see it.

"Yes, I'm afraid he is. If you need me, I'll be upstairs, doing something wrong," Dad said, heartbroken. I turned around to watch him leave, guilt crushing me heavily.

"Nice," Tucker said, angrily. "Do you want to go upstairs and make Mom cry?"

"Great," I said, upset, "I just managed to do Plasmius's job for him!"

Sam had a gleam in her eye. I think she knew what I was doing, "And there's only one thing that'll cheer him up! Catching a ghost!"

I got that same gleam in my eye, too. "And not just any ghost," I said, transforming into my alter-ego, "Public Ghost Enemy Number One!"

Sam and Tucker grinned at me, us three confident this will work. All we needed to do was keep the other ghost hunters occupied and Tucker had the perfect distraction. Sam and Tucker ran off to find the other ghost hunters and distract them. I floated upstairs, ready to motivate my dad.

I found Dad's essence and floated directly in front of him. Dad sat there, depressed. Okay, Fenton, time to get scary! "Ooh," I said, drawing it out. Dad looked away. I added more oomph to it. "Oooh," I said, drawing the word out. Still, Dad looked away. I decided to take some inspiration from the Box Ghost: "Fear me!" I began to grow worried. "Hello," I said, thinking maybe he didn't see me there. Who knows, he may not even realize I'm a ghost. Ghosts should be better at scaring people.

"Hello, ghost," I said, drawing attention to myself. "Over here," I said, hanging upside down in front of him. Dad finally looked at me.

"Oh, what do you want," he asked, depressed. I wasn't used to seeing him so defeated. He's my dad! He's always been the strong one! "Come to gawk at the big failure, I suppose?"

I sucked in air, making my voice sound deeper than my fourteen years, "Just the opposite… Jack," I said. Cool, I just called my dad by his first name!

"You know me," Dad asked, looking up at his name being spoken.

"Of course," I said, my voice dropping down to the teenaged voice. I added more depth to it. "And fear you! I've decided to give myself up. That's why I've come to you!"

"Forget it, Ghost Kid," Dad said, looking away. I was shocked. "I'm tired of getting laughed at. I give up!"

"Y-You can't do that," I stuttered, losing the deep voice from surprise. I wanted to tell him that he's my dad, the guy that never gives up but instead I heard another voice say something along those lines.

"You're darn right he can't," Mom exclaimed angrily. Oh, man, she's still pissed from Christmas! "Eat hot Fenton-weasel, ghost," Mom cried, sucking me into the tight quarters. I fought the vacuum but it was no good. I looked around the incredibly tiny space, knowing how big it really was. How do they do this? I'm a human being… with some ghost… in a damn vacuum!

"Jack," Mom cried excitedly, as if she had witnessed something. "You caught the ghost boy," Mom exclaimed.

"I did," Dad asked, confused. Then, the Dad I know and love exclaimed: "I did! Me, Jack Fenton!" After a beat, my world turned on its side, "You're the best wife ever!" Softly, I heard the sounds of kissing. I didn't even want to imagine where this could lead. I've witnessed something before and I don't want to do it again.

"Hey," I cried out, disgusted. "I'm in here! Hey! Oh, gross!" Well, at least he's happier!

XXX

I never expected for them to deliver me to Plasmius. My parents had plenty of money from their inventions. Mom and Dad invented countless ghost weapons that the other hunters bought up like candy. Hell, by the next year it will be required for all ghost weapons to be equipped with an immunity device that only my parents know how to build. We'll get millions when this deal comes through! Dad was just doing it to be known as the one who caught the elusive ghost boy. He had no idea he was playing a game of chess that no one could win but Vlad.

"You've got to listen to me," I cried again, but Dad didn't listen. "You need to know what you're getting into here!"

"I know exactly what I'm getting into," Dad exclaimed, proudly. "A bigger place in my son's heart!"

There isn't enough room at the moment, I thought, dryly. However, I couldn't help that thought leading to 'now I'm crushed by space and guilt'. I couldn't give up. If Dad delivered me to Vlad, he may not return me. I never imagined the bounty may be for alive only!

"But, you're walking into a trap!"

"Why should I believe you," Dad demanded angrily and within the same breath screamed out: "Hey!" I felt my space close in on me, my core constricting. Vlad was nearby.

"Does that answer your question?"

I heard clapping coming from outside my quarters and I desperately tried to relax my body. I could feel the area closing in on me, pain filling my entire being. I'm really beginning to hate being near him. All I feel is pain anymore. Can't I feel something else? Like space, for instance!

"The Wisconsin Ghost," Dad declared angrily.

Vlad's voice stayed even. "Very good," he exclaimed. "Two pawns working together leaving your Fenton portal unprotected so I can steal it and make it a Plasmius portal," Vlad answered mischievously. That's what this has been about!

"But you've already got a portal," I asked, in shock and anger.

"He's got a portal, you've got a portal," I heard Dad ask. I guess he was trying to decide who he should listen to. Who was more evil and who was less.

"Of course I have a portal," Vlad answered, annoyed. Then why take ours! How will I return the ghosts, you crazed up froot loop! "Well, I did," Vlad said, slowing his speech down, embarrassed. Oh. "It up and exploded on me. Well, that's what you get when you don't change the ecto-filtrator," Vlad said. Wait a minute. It is? "Live and learn," Vlad added, mockingly. "Or in your case, die and learn!"

"Ut oh!"

XXX

"Listen to me," I screamed again. "Stop sitting there, feeling sorry for yourself!"

"What else can I do," Dad asked me. "I'm going to lose my portal and my son's respect in one fell swoop."

I had no time for guilt, "That's not all you'll lose if the portal explodes," I answered.

"It's not going to explode. I told Danny to change it five times," Dad replied.

Well, time to get myself in trouble. "Did he clean the lab?"

"No."

"Does he clean his room?"

"No."

"Would he," oh man, I'm taking a long shot here, "I don't know… forget to install a handle on the inside of a door."

"Great gobs of ghost goop," Dad exclaimed, realizing what a screw up of a son he'd raised. "The portal's going to blow!" Now you get it. "Ghost kid, you've got to help me save my family. If you do that," Dad said, releasing me. Surprisingly, I was expelled from the device, "I'll set you free."

I looked at my dad in shock, "Uh, you just did!" Dad smacked his face, probably thinking he'd lost his last chance of stopping Vlad. Good thing my dad's a lousy negotiator. I added the depth to my voice again, hoping for Dad not to recognize my voice. "Tell you what, Jack." Man, that's cool! "You got a deal!"

The cage I assumed Vlad created was incredibly tiny and Dad was so tall that I phased through the ground to come up behind him. I placed my hands on his shoulder and turned us intangible. I waited for him to adjust to the feeling, him commenting: "My tummy feels funny!" I smiled brightly, finally living out a dream come true from when I first got my powers. I'd be able to work with my Dad, side by side. The fact that it was against Vlad only made things better.

I phased us out of the cage through the ground and reappeared on the other side of the beams. I started to fly towards Fentonworks but Dad started panicking. I realized that he was scared of falling. Dad wasn't afraid of heights but I truly understand the feeling when you come to realize you're walking on thin air. I landed us on the ground.

"We won't make it if we walk," I explained. "I know you're scared—," I started.

"I'm not scared, spook," Dad barked back. I was taken aback for a moment. I had thought we were working together. I guess it was a one-time mutual agreement.

"Okay," I said, weary. "Don't trust me. Whatever," I said, trying to get back to what I was getting at. "But the point is we need to fly there. I won't drop you," I stated firmly.

"Yeah, like I can trust you," Dad said. "How do I know that as soon as I get over the city you won't just dispose of your baggage?"

Anger burned in my gut. I knew he didn't know but it hurt to think that my dad could ever think I wouldn't protect him at any given cost. "Listen," I barked, "Do you want to save your portal or not?"

"Of course," Dad answered back sternly.

"Then are you going to question my every move or are we going to do this so we can get rid of Plasmius," I asked him again.

Dad looked wearily, then surrendered, "Will you carry me some other way. I—I am kinda scared. There's nothing down there!"

I smiled warmly, "You got it," I said. I floated over to him, just like I was lying on the floor or something. "Step up."

"On your back," Dad asked me, alarmed.

"Yes," I answered quickly. "Now, hurry. We don't have a lot of time!"

Dad started panicking the minute he put his boot on my back but once we took off, Dad started chanting frantically: "Happy place, happy place, happy place!"

I tried to hold it together because I thought he was going to crack me up I was laughing on the inside so hard. Dad felt weightless to me but I knew he was terrified I wouldn't be strong enough to hold him. Dad wasn't a fat or obese man… he was built. That jumpsuit just made him look pudgy. I was flying over the hill that lead to Tilling's Gulch when I felt my powers giving way. I didn't know what came over me but I heard two terrified screams.

I crashed into the ground, the impact actually burying me feet under the ground. Dad pulled me up, my ghostly body helping by not lodging deeper into the dirt. Once I was free, I looked around to see who or what done that to find the other hunters. Oh, great, I thought as I saw the Ghost Breakers free falling down the hill, followed closely by the rest in a cart.

Wasn't Sam and Tucker supposed to keep them busy?

The cart crashed hard into the Ghost Breakers but they leapt out of the tangled mess to throw something at Dad and I. I stared in shock as the idiots displayed true worthlessness in hunting principals. They were also breaking the law, attacking a ghost that was being hunted by another hunter.

"Watch out for that… hacky sack," Dad stated, stepping in front of me and pushing me away. The sack exploded on Dad instead. "You know, I don't enjoy helping you."

I grew angry. He thinks I need his help dealing with these buffoons? They're nothing. "Then don't," I stated boldly, "Go save our family," I yelled, pulling his skin-tight suit with my gloved hands. I froze upon realization: "I mean you're family. Not mine!"

Dad decided to leave his unanswered questions that way and ran towards Fentonworks which was a few blocks from here. I hated leaving him to run all the way there but I knew Dad could make it there, fast. If we both stayed to beat these guys, then Mom and Jazz would be killed when the portal blew. Priorities had to be made.

I looked in the direction and immediately saw my scapegoat. They brought the traumatized cat with them. I floated over to where it was sitting, nervously. "Boo," I said, simply, then to add drama I floated over to my stomach. The cat very slowly turned its eyes to look in the direction of the noise to see me floating, removing all doubt as to what I was. Honestly, I could probably be Danny Fenton and this cat would react this way.

I nearly died laughing when the cat leapt into the air, spazed out, and dived for cover of his owner. I flew over, rounding them up in a big circle and heaved them over my head. I dumped them in the garbage and couldn't help myself when I saw the dog that hung around the Nasty Burger. That dumb cat was declawed and so scared of everything, even the small pug would frighten it.

"Get the kitty," I called in a baby voice, "Get him."

The sounds emanating from that canister was worth all the hell I've been through since this all began. I heard one of the Ghost Breakers, the man, cry out: "This reeks, to the extreme!" I had my moment of laughter.

Party time over, I thought to myself. I can't leave Dad alone too long with Vlad. It would be too easy. "Now, to stop Plasmius," I stated, knowing I was in for a hell of a battle.

I hit the sonic mark, blasting to my house. I phased through the house, not yet coming solid again when I saw Dad. "Dad," I cried, aloud by accident. The vultures were attacking him.

"Nobody's wasting Jack Fenton," Dad cried out, "Not as long as my family's in danger!" The vultures were dissolved back to the Ghost Zone.

Dad reared back the Jack-o-nine-tails to attack Vlad as I triggered my invisibility. I wanted to make sure he needed my help before I stepped in.

"Fool," Vlad declared, grabbing the Jack-o-nine-tails out of Dad's hand. "You're family's in danger every time you pick up a butter knife! It's time I put you out of their misery." Vlad hit Dad, sending him flying back. I was ready to step in, but Dad began to talk.

"I may be a goof. I may mess up. But when my family's in danger, the gloves are off," Dad declared to Vlad. He looked at his hands, adding bashfully, "Well, technically they're on but you get the point!"

Vlad flew at Dad but my dad reared his fist back. Before Vlad could stop himself, Dad had rammed his fist into the bastard's jaw.

"Whoa," I called, excited. "He's all over this. So, that means," I said, triggering my rings and deactivating my invisibility, "I have plenty of time to do my chores." Only one really mattered to me.

I ran for the cabinet to retrieve the filtrator but I saw Vlad being slid along the table. "Well, the table's cleared!" Dad tossed Vlad into the beaker table: "Beakers have been taken care of." Vlad shot a blast at Dad but he picked up the trash to take the hit instead: "And the trash has been taken out. Now, that leaves plenty of time for…"

"Fenton portal to explode," I heard the announcement voice declare. My eyes widened.

"Ecto-filtrator. Ecto-filtrator! Where's the ecto-filtrator," I asked, frantic. Suddenly, one appeared in front of me. I gently took it from my dad's hands, "Uh, maybe I should have done this one of the five times you told me to."

"I'm kinda glad you didn't," Dad said, taking the dirty one and handing me the new one. Dad pointed the dirty one at Vlad and blew on the end, splattering ectoplasmic goo all over his face.

"It's not possible," Vlad yelled in an up rage. "You're an idiot. An idiot!"

"That may be so," Dad said, cheerfully, "But I'm the idiot who beat you!" Dad tossed him up in the air and punched him into the Ghost Zone. I beamed with excitement.

"Dad, that was awesome," I yelled, so proud to see him beat the man I have yet to without an advantage.

"Aren't you forgetting something," Dad asked me. "Again!"

Oh, shoot, the ecto-filtrator. I turned to the device, ready to put it in when the thing slipped out of my hand. Dad tried to catch it but I beat him to it, being much more coordinated that he was. I slipped the filtrator in before the countdown ended.

"Good job, son," Dad said to me, pulling me close. I hugged him tightly.

"Hey, you're the one with the great job. You're not a screw-up, Dad. You never have been. But how did you do that," I remarked.

"Years of practice, son," Dad said. I couldn't stop smiling. With Mom telling Vlad off and now Dad actually beating him, I was beginning to believe things weren't as hopeless as I had thought. Maybe I underestimated my parents and overestimated Vlad.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to do what you did, Dad," I said, not losing the smile.

"You're just a boy, Danny," Dad said, gently. "When you get older, you'll be able to do a lot of things that you never imagined was possible."

I took a sigh of relief and walked upstairs, Dad following me. "Hey, Dad," I asked when I got to the kitchen. "Why does the portal blow up when the filtrator gets dirty?"

Dad looked giddy, "Finally! A chance to show it!"

"Show what," I asked. Dad pulled out his laptop and showed me a diagram of what happens if the filtrator isn't changed every six months. I stared at the screen in shock. "It hasn't been six months," I declared, confused.

Dad looked confused, "It hasn't?"

"No," I exclaimed. "It's only been… my God," I said, slowly realizing what day today was. "I forgot. Tomorrows the twenty-seventh. I've been so busy lately with the… stuff that I forgot tomorrow will be five months."

"That can't be right," Dad remarked, him too confused. "That filtrator must be changed every six months. It's designed to hold that much negative energy, I know."

"Dad, I'd know," I said, chuckling. "It's only been five months since the portal was turned on!"

Dad chuckled out, "Oh. Yes, maybe, but the filtrator was installed six months ago. That's when we began running tests. So, I guess we're both right."

I chuckled. "I knew I hadn't forgotten… and you should never forget this," I said, elbowing him playfully, "I'm really proud of you, Dad. So from this moment on, I'll remember my chores!"

"And I'll remember that my actions have consequences to others, especially my family."

We walked off together, putting the lab top away. If Mom found it out of place, she'd skin us. A thought occurred to me, "Where are Mom and Jazz?"

"I don't know," Dad dismissed. "I need to go check the portal to make sure it's okay and he don't come back."

"Okay," I said, my mind on something else. I walked upstairs while Dad headed back to the lab. Vlad wouldn't return until tonight.

I checked upstairs, trying to find proof that Mom and Jazz had been there. I couldn't find anything. I came back down stairs to see if I had overlooked anything when I heard some muffles. They were low but with my super hearing I could just make them out. Following the sounds, I came to the weapons vault… the soundproof weapons vault.

"Jack," I heard Mom's voice scream again.

"Dad," Jazz screamed afterwards. "Danny!"

I walked over to the panel and typed in 11-6-3-7-8. When it said access denied, I knew Dad had changed it and typed in a phrase using the keypad. The lock clicked.

"Oh, thank goodness," Mom called. "Danny," she said, surprised. "How did you know what the password was," Mom said, looking around.

"When it wasn't our birth months, I knew Dad changed it," I answered blankly.

"You knew we had a weapons vault," Jazz asked me, surprised.

"Yes," I answered slowly, "I actually listen to Mom and Dad when they tell us things."

"How did you know what he changed it to, though," Mom asked me.

I allowed a smile come to my lips, "If you would think about it, you'd get it too. Everything to Dad is about…"

Mom smacked her head as she, Jazz and I exclaimed in unison: "Fudge."

"For the love of everything good and holy, Danny, please put a handle on that door," Jazz informed me.

"I will," I said, walking towards the basement. "Right now."

I grabbed a handle and went to complete my list of chores. There were many of them.

XXX

I'd cleaned my room, putting my clothes actually on hangers then I cleaned the ops center. After I finished my work there, I cut the footage from the cameras, collecting the clips. Afterwards, I went down stairs to see Dad locking the portal. I shook my head, beginning to wipe up the broken beakers. Dad looked at me proudly but I ignored the embarrassment. I should have done this a long time ago. I've let too many things slide because of everything going off. I need to start taking more responsibility.

When Dad left, I used a thermos to suck up all the green goo and arranged all the books. I cleaned up the mess and checked my blood samples in the cleaning supply closet, storing the footage in my kit. Everything was as it should have been.

I opened my files on the computer, updating the files which I regrettably haven't done in a while. My eyes next fell on the heavy book bag that I still hadn't got to. I'd return to school tomorrow and I needed to at least put an effort forth. I picked the books up, easily picking up the bag by the hanger loop with one finger.

XXX

Some time had passed when I began to feel the heat getting to me. Mom and Dad had the heat up but normally I didn't notice: cold or hot. Only when Vlad came around did I feel anything. I pulled at my collar, trying to give myself some room to breathe. Then I heard him: "Daniel!"

I stood up, walking over to the portal: "What," I yelled back angrily.

"Open this God damned door, I'm not in the mood," Vlad called angrily.

"What, you have to escape a cramped space, defeat your archenemy, and defend your family, too," I asked sarcastically. "No, that's right. I did all that. You got your ass beat by my dad, who, by your standards, is an idiot! Go away, Plasmius!" I turned my back to the portal, putting my mind to continuing my work.

"Daniel, I mean it, open this door," Vlad ordered.

I paused. "No," I yelled back. "And come tomorrow after school I'm telling them about you! I'm through and now I know I'm just hurting myself by not telling them what you've been doing to me!"

"Open this damn door or I'll blow it up," Vlad screamed.

"You wouldn't want to anger my dad, now would you," I teased him back darkly. I began to walk again.

"He surprised me," Vlad shot back. I bit back a bitter laugh but slowed my stride. "You know me! You've been subjected to my powers. Do you honestly believe I couldn't have caused the old man's heart to stop beating with my powers. Do you honestly believe I couldn't shoot a red beam and watch him melt?"

"You're lying," I called back, fearful this time. I had frozen in the middle of the room, too fearful to test him.

"You be the judge," Vlad said. I knew he was telling the truth. I rushed to open the door using the scanner. Vlad floated out of the portal, completely covered in some sick looking goo other than that of what Dad put on his face. "Don't even think, Daniel. Normally, I wouldn't punish you for your thoughts but since this is your fault, I will!"

"My fault," I asked, stunned. "You're the one who attacked me first and tried to steal our portal!"

"What are you doing," Vlad asked me, looking at the desk and changing the subject.

"Homework," I answered. I added quickly, "Sir."

"Good," Vlad answered. "You're coming with me for a few hours. Go tell your parents you're tired from all the excitement and you're going to bed early."

"Yes, sir," I answered, walking up the stairs three at a time. As I approached the door, I put on my best tired face. I walked through the door (the human way) and stumbled to the living room. As I walked into the room, I exclaimed loudly, "Oh, man!"

"Hey, you get done," Mom asked me, watching something on TV.

I yawned, "Yeah." I yawned again. "Geez, I'm wiped. I think I'm gonna turn in early. If Sam and Tucker call, tell them I've started early."

Mom looked at me weirdly. "Started what?"

"They know what it means," I answered. "'Night." When I was upstairs and I was sure no one was around, I sunk through the floor. Telling Mom, Dad and Jazz I was turning in early might work but it would only make Sam and Tucker suspicious. However, if Mom told them I would start early, they'd suspect that I was starting my late-night ghost shift earlier this time. I always went to bed when I began my nighttime shift. I try to handle them between naps.

Vlad waited patiently for me to return before taking hold of my arm and teleporting out. I fell over in a bent position again, dry heaving. I hated that power! We were at the island. I backed away, fearful.

"Don't worry," Vlad said, walking up the hill. "Stay here. I'm going to go get a few suits. My house blew up, remember."

I relaxed a little then my mind began to imagine how it happened. Dad had showed me that presentation on our house blowing up so I imagined it happening to Vlad's. I chuckled to myself.

_It wasn't funny_, Vlad commented in my head. It was still my voice.

When will I ever hear your voice. I know what you sound like, I replied mentally.

_Well, it does take time. Stupid, Behemoth. If I hadn't lost that damn key when he swallowed me I could have just phased out… but instead_. Vlad let out a sign of discomfort.

Swallowed you, I asked, confused. What are you talking about?

_Very good, Daniel_, Vlad said but his voice didn't convey. _Why would you listen to me now? Of all the embarrassing details for you to learn_!

I'm doing this, I asked excitedly. I hadn't even noticed that I'd asked to hear his thoughts.

_You won't have to as you become more experienced. Do you still have to get incredibly angry to transform?_

I don't know, I remarked, skipping a rock on the water. I've never not tried!

_I've not tried otherwise_, Vlad corrected me.

Whatever, I shot back.

_Have you been working on your ecto-energy like I've assigned you_, Vlad asked me.

Not really, I answered. I've been busy with your attack.

_I assigned it before yesterday_, Vlad said sternly.

Yeah, but I usually don't do your assignments until the weekend, I answered. I didn't try to keep anything from him. It was painful and a losing battle.

Vlad appeared at the top of the island in Masters form and cleaned up. "Just get it done before Monday. I want you to be prepared for the next lesson."

"Yes, sir," I replied, looking back up at him.

Vlad came to stand beside me. He wrapped his arms around me and teleported off the island. However, I didn't feel sick. Vlad swayed, "Wow," he replied. "Maybe I will give you a heads up next time. That was ridiculous."

"What did you do," I asked him.

"I took your nausea," Vlad answered. "Never again!"

"So you felt it too," I asked, enthusiastically. "It's not just in my mind."

"No, it's definitely not just in your mind," Vlad answered.

I took a look around. "Where are we," I asked.

"That small town that boarders your town," Vlad answered.

"Technically speaking there are 8 towns that boarder Amity Park," I replied. I went on to list them: "Clearmont, Dawson, Elemerton, Hilltop, Jefferson, Mount Vernon, Tillings Gulch and Valley."

"Elemerton," Vlad answered. "You'll be staying with me for a few days."

"Days," I paled. What was he talking about?

"Well, if my house is blown up I might as well take advantage of it. I don't really need to live in Madison… not with my bitch in Illinois." I started to get a sick feeling in my stomach. I think I know how my dream got to the point it did.

"But I can't live with you, even if you do live in Elemerton," I objected.

"Where does Tucker live," Vlad asked me abruptly.

I narrowed my eyes at him, "Why?"

"Oh, Daniel, I'm just saying that even though he lives with his family, where does he call home?"

"We are his family," I retorted. "And the same goes for Mom and Dad Number Two! You on the other hand are nothing to me but my master!"

"Which means I am everything to you," Vlad replied, his voice level. He wasn't displaying signs that he was upset. "You need boundaries. I had more control over you when you lived with me. I need that back but I know if I take you I risk making things complicated. So, you'll stay at home but you'll live with me. You are to report to my house every night at one o'clock."

I looked at Vlad angrily but it turned into dejection. I couldn't keep this up. If I lived with him again… I didn't want to think about it. Vlad walked away from me, leaving me in a parking lot. I looked around, noticing I was at some kind of motel. We'd spend the night here.

XXX

I barely made it through my window before my alarm started blaring. I slammed the off button and rushed to grab my clothes. I had to hurry. There was no time to dwell that I didn't have any sleep last night or that Vlad had put the unit in my anus for 'taking pleasure in my failure.' What a froot loop!

I rushed down the stairs and entered into the kitchen. I grabbed my box of apple jacks to find them empty. Mom had bought a new box when I put it on the list. However, as I was pondering what had happened to my cereal I heard my least favorite word: "Beware!"

I groaned out, annoyed, "Boxy, now what do you want!"

"You have disgraced the box and now I shall cause you to pay," the Box Ghost declared, trying his best to sound angry.

I rolled my eyes, "That's the reason you threw out an entire box!"

"You do not scare me, ghost boy, for I am…" Boxy began preaching. I pulled a thermos from the drawer and sucked him inside.

"I so don't have the patients," I said dryly. I stuck the thermos back in the drawer and put my bowl back in the cabinet. I ran out the door, jumping into the air and transforming at the same time. I hit the gas, so to speak, going sonic. Maybe I could make it to school before breakfast was over.

So not fair, I thought to myself as I stared at the selection of cereal. Not a single box of Apple Jacks was available. Only Cheerios, Captain Crunch, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and (gasp!) Froot Loops. I groaned, slamming my head against the food shield at the line. Why, of all the boxes of cereal there, would the only one I like be Froot Loops?

I reached for the Cheerios but pulled away. I have no taste buds, I scolded myself but couldn't pick them up. I can't have sugar (I blew Vlad last night) and it would be too hard to eat them plain. Captain Crunch and Cinnamon Toast Crunch just freaked me out. They both had men on the covers and how creepy is that? Then the Froot Loops. Do I need to say it?

"Come on, Fentina," Dash called from the back of the line. "Pick one and go on, freak."

I held my breath and took the Froot Loops. So help me if this makes me see him more frequently, I will destroy Kraft Foods! I picked up a jug of milk and went to sit down.

XXX

On my way home from school, I stopped by the market to pick up Apple Jacks. However, while I was there I bumped into Vlad. I started to plot a way to destroy Kellogg's HQ when Vlad caught me off guard.

"I'm going to have to reschedule," Vlad answered, briskly, bending down to my pelvic area. He turned his hand intangible, removing the unit. "I've got a meeting today that I forgot about. It's out of country but I'll see you soon."

And just like that, Vlad left, taking the unit with him. I picked up the box of Froot Loops on the different shelf.

"You may just be good luck," I said in awe. "We'll see how this plays out."

XXX

When I arrived home, I started to work some on my homework. I didn't get too far into it when my ghost sense went off. I dropped what I was doing, as usual, and went to battle whatever ghost had decided to pay me a visit. Surprisingly, it was Box Ghost, Lunch Lady and a few other of my nonthreatening adversaries. I fought them like normal but I couldn't say the same for the opposing team. When I would get close to capturing one, two would gang up while the other would escape the beam of the thermos.

I was beginning to grow tiresome of this, knowing I had work to get back to. Knowing their game plan, I aimed my thermos at Lunch Lady and, as expected, Box Ghost and one of the ecto-pusses shot through the air to throw me off. However, I turned my thermos on the two charging ghosts, capturing them two. This surprised the rest, making them easy targets. I capped my thermos and flew back to my house.

I began to enter through my window when I noticed it was closed. I never close my window, not even now, for my own reasons. I instead phased through the hallway and powered down, making note to cut the cameras before nightfall. I opened the door slowly, ready to either charge or question when a smile came to my lips. Sam and Tucker were inside the room, streaming banners and decorating the room in birthday décor.

"Are you two the ones responsible for that little fiasco," I asked as I stepped in, crossing my arms playfully. Sam and Tucker spun around, surprised.

"Danny," they called, not expecting me back so soon.

"Well," I said, a smile on my lips. Sam picked up a black balloon and bounced it towards me.

"Happy five months birthday, Phantom," Sam remarked, a smile on her lips.

"You guys," I said, trying to scold but unable to hide my happiness. With everything that has been going on, maybe an evening together would help ease some tension.

"You've been stressed, lately," Tucker said. "We thought it'd be nice to give you a birthday party."

"Yeah," I nodded my head, "But if Mom and Dad find this, they're going to wonder why you guys are off about my birthday?"

"Just for once," Sam said, her voice playful, "don't worry about consequences. Don't worry about the world. Just be Danny Fenton-Phantom hanging out with Tucker Foley and Sam Manson."

My smile grew to a full-fledged grin, "I could be that guy. Just once."

Tucker blew a noise maker, "Let's get this party started!"

"Seriously, guys," I said, my smile disappearing as I looked over my shoulder. "A quiet party!"

"Oh, liven up a little," Sam said. "You're starting to sound more Goth than I am!"

I picked up a noise maker all my own. "Okay, here goes nothing," I said, blowing into the toy. For once, I could feel myself forgetting everything. I was just a guy with two best friends… and it was great!

XXX

My alarm blared the next morning, signaling the beginning of the Friday morning. Most children dreamed of Fridays all week long. Sam, Tuck and I were the exception. It didn't matter to us. Weekends did tend to be better because we had less responsibilities to crowd our biggest but nonetheless weekends were hardly days off. While stretching my muscles, I noticed a blurry object lying beside me. Startled, I turned to see Tucker lying spiraled out on my bed. At the foot of the bed lay Sam.

I forgot. Taking a breath of relief that it wasn't Vlad, I poked at Tucker and Sam at the same time. With my acute hearing, I heard the alarm way before the two sleepy-heads did. Tucker moved around, mumbling something about the gigabytes could wait. I chuckled, nudging him again as Sam began to arouse. Sam looked up at me with confusion, not quite understanding where she was or what was going on.

"You guys fell asleep last night," I said quietly. "I guess I did too. Look at Tucker."

Sam chuckled as I nudged him again. "Motherboard is fried," Tucker mumbled again, still not waking up.

"I'll get him," Sam said quietly. "The last steak is going."

Tucker shot up, looking wildly for the person about to steal his steak. "Where?"

Sam and I chuckled at our meat obsessed friend. Honestly, we all had key phrases like that. Mention the Manson's and pink and Sam shoots up and it used to be if you mentioned Samuels and schedule, I'd come scrambling awake but nowadays anything to do with ghosts seems to do the trick.

"Time for school," I told Tucker.

"Oh, man," Tucker groaned. "I didn't go home last night. Mom and Dad are going to kill me!"

"Don't worry," I informed my friend. "I'll get you off the hook. Come on, you guys. We're going to have to work overtime to get to school on time."

A smile came to Sam's lips, "Or we could take Air Danny!"

I mulled over it for a few moments, grabbing some clothes from my closet. I tossed Sam and Tucker their usual outfits that they started leaving at my house. With as many times we get covered in goo, we've started packing extra clothing everywhere we may be. "I don't know, guys," I said, still considering Sam's proposal. "I have no problem with it, really, but with my reputation out and about… it'd have to be invisible?"

Tucker was the one to comment, "Wouldn't it anyway? You wouldn't want us to be associated with Danny Phantom, would you?"

"… guess not. Not with Mom and Dad hating his guts now. Okay, AD it is!"

Sam and Tucker grinned up, each of them heading to the bathrooms. Jazz would be done with her shower, so we weren't two short… just one. Me. I walked into the bathroom Tucker was currently using and grabbed a towel.

"What's up," Tucker asked me, puzzled. "There isn't an extra tub?"

"I found a new way to shower," I remarked, stepping out. I didn't leave any room for Tucker to question, leaving the bathroom. I ran downstairs, hoping against hope that Mom and Dad weren't in there. I locked the door that separated the lab from the rest of the basement, calling to Sam. "I'm down here, Sam. Unless you are comfortable with… yeah. Just know that…" I trailed off. I started into that sentence strongly but the blush kept throwing me off. I desperately wanted to see her… ya know. For… comparison.

I walked over to the water main, creating the plumbing from the spout to a large-enough area to house the shower. When I finished the piping, I began with the floor of the shower, then the walls and finally the spigot. The ecto-energy was dark enough to create a shield so I just stepped inside.

XXX

I walked out of the shower to find Sam staring at my contraption. Sam's eyes were as large as silver dollars, knowing she definitely didn't see that when she went in. I chuckled nervously, removing the image from my mind and the shower dissolving. Sam jumped, seeing an entire shower vanish. It took her a moment for the words to form, but finally she came out with it: "How did you do that?"

I chuckled, "You like," I asked. "It's ecto-energy!"

"Ecto-energy," Sam repeated me. "Like your blasts?"

"One and the same," I replied. "It has more purposes than just as a weapon."

"How did you learn to do that," Sam asked me. I paled. I hadn't anticipated on answering that.

I looked down, "It's a long story. Someone taught me."

"Was it your grandparents," Sam asked me, apparently not catching on to my change in mood.

"They've taught me a lot," I replied. Sam didn't catch the sure way to detect I'm lying and accepted that as a yes. I walked over to the door and unlocked it, heading upstairs. Sam followed me to where we caught up to Tucker in the kitchen.

"Good morning, Mom," I addressed, grabbing my cereal box from the top of the refrigerator.

"Good morning, sweetheart. Did you three have fun last night," Mom asked me.

"Yeah, we did. A little too much fun. I'm gonna have to apologize to Mom Number Two for keeping Tucker."

"Don't worry about it," Mom told me. "Alice called last night when you didn't come home. I told her that you were upstairs."

I looked up from my pouring of milk on my cereal, "You knew he was still here because you never saw him leave," I asked, fearfully.

"No," Mom said, causing me to really fear my nighttime's. "I checked in on you three."

Sam and Tucker didn't react, just sit down to the breakfast Mom made us. I sat down at my usual spot with the multicolored circles that reminded me of Vlad's sanity. I began to eat the cereal, no taste whatsoever reaching my palate. Sam and Tucker glanced at my bowl quizzically, "What's with the change of cereal?"

I chuckled, thinking this will never work. "Well, I'm trying to expel someone from my life. I'm thinking if I eat enough Froot Loops, he'll disappear."

Mom chuckled, "Sweetheart, you'd probably have to eat a million boxes before accomplishing that."

"If it gets rid of Vlad, I'll do it," I commented. Mom chuckled but said nothing more.

"How you'd know who he was talking about, Mrs. Fenton," Sam asked.

"Danny's called him a Froot Loop on a few occurrences and I've witnessed it," Mom replied. Dad was nowhere around, so I knew she felt comfortable discussing it with her 'children.' "If that begins to work, Danny, let me know and I'll help you."

"Do you believe he'll come back despite what you told him," I asked.

"Maybe," Mom commented. "I didn't get a chance to reject him again before he left to eat." I laughed out loud, clearly remembering his horrified face as I instructed for the animals to give chase. I wonder how he survived that? I wouldn't have cared if it killed him. "What's so funny," Mom asked me.

I couldn't control my laugher, "Nothing."

I stood up from my seat, still laughing. I washed my bowl out and returned to my seat, waiting for Sam and Tucker to finish eating. It was now after seven in the morning and classes started until 7:20.

"Are you kids going to be able to make it to school on time? You only have twenty minutes to make it," Mom asked us.

"Yeah," I replied, not concerned. "We're fast walkers and I know a shortcut."

Sam and Tucker chuckled, this time Sam catching the tell-tell sign. The only reason they don't catch it when I use it on them is because they're completely unsuspecting. They believe that I would never use that technique on them and six months ago, they'd be completely right. However, now, as is the life of a halfa, secrets are mandatory.

When Sam and Tucker finished eating, we rushed out the door at 7:10. I headed into my favorite changing spot, Sam and Tucker following. I triggered the rings that brought out Phantom and began floating. Sam took my right hand and Tucker took my left, me lifting them in the air. As soon as I began to tap into their minds, Sam broke out on her own, calling, "A little cover, Danny!"

Tucker and I smiled at our friend who was much more advanced than any of us. I accessed her mind, bringing out the invisibility she would receive upon death. Next, I did the same to Tucker but he stayed closer to me for fear of falling. Sam had long ago overcame that fear and now chose to take wing on her own. I triggered my own invisibility and began the flight to school.

Upon arrival at the old school, I flashed my energy to make a calling card. Even though I had helped turn them invisible, I still could not see them. I landed on the ground and asked aloud, "Sam, Tucker?"

"I'm here," Sam announced.

"Present," Tucker replied.

Both of their voices displayed the happiness they felt. I let down my invisibility first and once my friends saw me, they released theirs as well. Sam touched down on the ground, ending her freedom. Tucker floated 60 feet off the ground, no higher than what I had brought him too. I lowered him, using my mind to access his gradual-gravity power. Tucker still had to get the hang of the controls.

Sam's face lit up, her smile bringing her cheeks to take form of two large apples. Sam would be in a good mood for the rest of the day, I was sure, and not the girl for whom she has a reputation for. But knowing Sam, it will be worth it for the opportunity to strike out and fly herself.

Tucker's breathing was ragged but he still held a smile on his face. Even though he is the only one of the two that has had powers free of my influence, Tucker doesn't understand the abilities as well as Sam. What Desiree had given him, us two deducted, was just something that resembled ghost powers. When Tucker had blasted off, his flight was twice as powerful as what mine has become. What Desiree gave him in detail we hadn't a clue but we have decided that it wasn't spectral.

Sam on the other hand has completely taken to understanding. She has a hard time understanding what the triggers are but when I access that part of her mind, Sam takes to it like a second nature. Simply put, she understands how to use it once initiated but on how to trigger it, she hadn't the slightest clue. She shouldn't know, either, because then that would make her the half ghost, not the half ghost's friend.

The three of us made a mad dash to our first class, our science books already in our book bags from yesterday. When you fight ghosts on a daily basis, you learn to prepare for the unexpected the best of your ability. With the three of us, we never know if we'll have time to run to our lockers. Today was one of those examples.

There were many classes I was late to, but I always tried to make it to my first period on time. Most times, I make it all right but upon occasion an attack on the way to school will leave me behind telling Sam and Tucker to go ahead. My life has become so unpredictable; there are a few things early in the day that I try to get done so I'll at least get one thing right.

XXX

I walked into Mr. Fuluka's classroom, and I was instantly met with a murderous stare. Ever since I slipped out of his classroom, Mr. Fuluka has been unfriendly towards me which I have no problem with. My parents threatened to bring his record before the board if he suspended me and with our ties, he could have a spotless record and still get canned. In some way, it was worse to deal with a ghost hunter than it was to deal with the royalty. At least the royalty's reign ends at the gates.

I took my seat, pulling out my book. I hated this class before but now it has become personal and not just 'subjective.' I laughed, my objective complete. A pun! I have started to feel like myself but at times, I have to wonder is it because I'm returning to who I was or if I'm incorporating who I was with who I am now.

Class went normal, Mr. Fuluka calling on me just for the hell of it. After class, Sam burned in rage. I believe Sam has more beef with Mr. Fuluka than I do. Sam ranted about contacting Dash and having Mr. Fuluka evaluated for dismissal but I gently talked her out of it. After all, if she contacted Dash, she'd risk the secret of her true identity revealed, and believe me, I know how much that can make someone rethink their positions.

XXX

We walked into our fourth period, I already wishing it'd be over. With the increasing difficulty to keep substitute teachers, the classes have begun to double up to support the dramatic rise in teacher-less classes. My fourth period is one of those such classes, doubling up with Mr. Lancer's English class. Even with all of the teacher's breaks being terminated, classes still sat without instructors. Our history teacher and eight substitutes had ran out of the building screaming. The other five had waited patiently until the end of their assignment.

Sam, Tuck and I walked into Mr. Lancer's classroom, Sam and Tucker taking their seats on the English side while I took my seat on the half with my History class. This was truly the only benefit from this whole ordeal. Before, we were separated with Tuck and Sam going to English while I went to History. With the two classes pairing up, there were two less classes we didn't have together. The conditions was extremely cramped, though, more like a civilized Fenton-weasel, but worth it to be near Sam and Tucker. Mr. Lancer knew nothing of the sort about history, though. He was a literature major, through and through, and if the History class had any questions, it usually led to permission to 'Google' it. Glancing at the board on the right side of the line, I inwardly chuckled. With the vibrator in my sensitive area, I had confused the Mayflower with something from our Home Ec. class. I'm glad that's now over.

'Name three of the many achievements that the arrival of the Mayflower brought.'

It wasn't a long chapter. It's just been that difficult to keep things in a steady progression. We were literally taking one step to fall back ten. With the teachers leaving, the difficulty to attract substitutes, and the ghost attacks that disrupted classes all the time, lessons were absolutely horrible to maintain. Before Walker's invasion, I was so far behind my classes that it wasn't even funny. Now I'm catching up but it's still not funny.

In the middle of fourth period, I felt the chill. This was normal, considering that ghosts are mostly nocturnal and so forth. It was my studies and my later classes that suffered mostly but even some ghosts desire to catch the worm. I raised my hand, already looking around for the ghost. Mr. Lancer called on me.

"May I be excused," I asked hurriedly. I had long ago stopped adding details.

"Go ahead, Mr. Fenton," Mr. Lancer sighed. I dashed from the room, heading for the nearest place to transform.

After my transformation, I took to the air seeking the ghost. My ghost sense had a pretty wide area, so if I couldn't sense energies, I'd certainly never find the ghosts before they found me or someone else. I followed the signature, the ghost apparently pretty far off. I hoped that it wouldn't be off school grounds again.

I tracked the signature until I was separated from the ghost only by a wall. No one, as I could tell, had discovered either one of us and I had hoped it'd stay that way. I held my back to the wall, ready to barge in and face the ghost. Finally making my move, I floated into the room at the ready.

"Will you be my friend," an annoying voice bombarded me. This ghost is actually one of my worst. It takes me longer to 'defeat' Klemper than it does Skulker.

"Oh, Klemper," I groaned. "Can we do this later, I'm busy."

"I just want someone to be my friend," the ghost wailed. I felt for him, I really did, but I had more pressing issues.

I thought for a moment, "How about I set you up with someone?"

"Someone to be my friend," Klemper asked me, overjoyed.

"Just for you," I replied.

Klemper grew excited as I floated through the wall, beckoning him to follow with my hand. We flew back to my house and, carefully to avoid my parents, went through the portal. I lead him through the familiar streets until I came upon a door I knew well. I hadn't visited in a while, but I'm sure they'll be glad to see me.

I opened the door, and stepped aside for Klemper to enter into the doorway. "Grandma, Grandpa," I called, closing the door behind me. "It's Danny!"

A woman in her late forties looked up. She had rich brown hair and she had the reddest eyes I had ever seen. They weren't hard, though, as they only had love and compassion for me. "Danny," my grandmother called. "David, Danny's here!"

My grandfather floated into the room, "I knew he was coming, Carla. Hello, Klemper. We have some food on the table, old boy." My grandfather was tall with a fairer shade hair color. My grandfather was lanky with long legs. He was maybe in his early fifties. My mom lost her parents in a car accident shortly before her graduation day. They were both young to be ghosts.

"Why didn't you tell me you dreamed of our grandbaby's return," my grandmother scolded him. I smiled as my grandmother took me in her arms. I returned the hug but it was cut off abruptly. "Danny, honey. Who touched you," my grandmother demanded angrily, her red eyes flashing as the fire bubbled to the top.

If I had blood to drain from my face, I surely would have paled. "What do you mean?"

Grandpa floated over to me. "Oh, my God," he declared.

"What are you guys talking about," I demanded back. They weren't usually this cryptic.

"Sweetheart, you stink," my grandmother said, her voice venomous.

I suddenly became self-conscious, trying my best to inhale. However, I couldn't breathe if my life depended on it. Then something occurred to me: "Hey! You're ghosts! You guys don't breathe or have any kind of perception of human senses!"

"It's not actual odor," Grandpa informed me. "It's the same as when we feed on emotions. When a ghost has been sexually assaulted, it gives off this god-awful smell to alert the community to its violation. The perpetrator also gives off a smell, so we'll know a rapist is around our haunts. It's the Ghost Zone's version of a national sexual predator list."

"Are you sure that it's not something else," I answered. I didn't want to anger my grandparents, especially the fire queen.

"Positive," my grandmother seethed. "Speak!"

I backed away, trying to think my way out of this. I'm just glad this doesn't happen in the real world or I'd never kept it for as long as I have. My grandmother stared me down, refusing to let this slide.

"You know, I could always ask my dreams," Grandpa spoke up after I held my silence. "And if that's the way I find this bastard, I will kill him."

"You can't," I surrendered. "He's more powerful than I am."

"Honey," my grandmother spoke softly. "There are many ghosts out there more powerful than you. You're just a child." Grandma walked over to me, taking my gloved hands in hers. "I never wanted you to have this life. I've always prayed my descendants would have a better life than mine and my husband's but you've been handed a pretty bad hand. You have to let someone in… you have to ask for help every once and a while."

"I can't," I said again, the tears trying to breach my defenses. "I'm stuck being his… bitch… until the end of eternity. If I don't, Mom will be joining you guys much sooner than I know either one of you'd like."

"You don't have to tell Maddie or Jack, just tell us," Grandma told me, holding my hands in hers still.

"And get the two of you obliterated. I've just found you," I said, my voice breaking. "I don't want to lose you again."

"This guy won't obliterate us," Grandma insisted. "I'll barbeque him before then. Not many people are stronger than the fire queen."

"He is," I said, hanging my head in shame. "After my last visit, Mom and Dad took Jazz and I to Wisconsin for their college reunion. While there, I met this ghost and he's so powerful. He has mind control and his powers are more advanced… He can duplicate. He can do anything. That night, he raped me but I didn't know." My voice was going high, I could tell but I couldn't calm down. I had filed this away as 'don't ask, don't tell'. If I just pretended I was okay with it, I could escape the torture.

"After the reunion, I thought it was only a dream. I woke up back in the bed I was sleeping in and I thought I just dreamed it all. However, the week before Christmas, he asked my parents if they would allow me to spend a week with him…"

"A ghost asked Maddie and Jack if he could have you and they agreed," Grandpa asked incredulously.

I abruptly stopped. "He's like me. He's half ghost."

Grandma and Grandpa's eyes widened and I could see the shock in their pale faces. Ghosts display shock differently than humans. Ghosts don't gasp or breath hard because they don't breath but their glows do fluctuate with their moods. Grandma's and Grandpa's glows became brighter as the shock and anger filled them. Grandma's actually took on a soft orange glow, blending her power in with her mood.

"Who," Grandma asked me, her voice strict and nonnegotiable.

"Vlad Masters," I spoke, softly. Vlad grew up with Mom and Dad so I knew they knew who he was.

"Vlad's a ghost now," Grandpa asked, surprised. "My God."

"I'm not going to let him hurt you," Grandma declared, still undeterred.

"And I'm not going to let him hurt anyone I love," I shot back. "He's promised he won't hurt me, that he'll hurt my family and I've seen it. I ran from him the first day he came for me and Mom Number Two was injured in an accident with a ghost. He took responsibility. I won't risk him finishing the job. It'd be too easy for him!"

"So you'll just be repeatedly raped by him for the rest of your life," Grandpa asked me, his voice displaying the illogical aspect of that.

"Until he gets tired of me or I die," I said, my voice low. I knew I'd never escape Vlad. I hadn't admitted it yet, but I knew it deep down and it wasn't as hard to admit as I thought it would be.

"No," Grandma said, shaking her head. "No. Absolutely not. You're only fourteen!"

"Age doesn't matter anymore," I spoke softly. "I've progressed farther than anyone my age. I'm no longer a boy. I'm half ghost."

"But that doesn't define you," Grandpa declared.

"Doesn't it," I asked, looking to my grandparents. "If I'm not being called ghost boy, halfa or whelp, it's something else about my status. There are only two of us in existence. It's defining!"

"But you are still half human," Grandma replied. "I think that's what your grandfather meant. Yes, honey, you are half ghost but you must remember the other side of the coin."

"The other side of the coin only states that I'm a freak. Not quite one, not quite the other. I belong to both worlds, yet I belong nowhere. I straddle life and death and that's not natural. I should have died in that portal… but I didn't and that's because my parents messed with the grand design. No one was meant to open this doorway."

"Sweetheart, it's humanity's burden. Mankind still pays for mistakes our ancestors have made and even into the afterlife, we still pay. If you are half ghost because your parents breached a code of design, then the Powers That Be have changed their ways of going about things. If half ghosts were a punishment for the breach, there'd be more than two."

I shook my head, shaking the images of Sam and Tucker's dreams. That would be four.

"And more than your friends," Grandpa included. "I already know they become half ghost."

"I'm gonna stop that," I said, determined. I'd stop the horrible visions I'd had of them becoming like me. Their lives would not be ruined the way mine has been.

"You can't," Grandpa stated. "Every single timeline says they become half ghost. Every attempt you make at disrupting the timeline fails. They will become half ghost, it's their destines."

"I'm not going to allow it," I said, still determined.

"Stop changing the subject, you two," Grandma demanded angrily, her glow spiking. Hues of orange, red and blue danced at the rim of her spectral illuminate.

Grandpa and I both cut our talking and turned back to her, fear in both of our eyes. Grandma was not one to mess with when angered. Grandpa had always said he left the frying pan and went into the fire and he's not over exaggerating.

"Grandma," I said, tentatively, "There's nothing you can do about that… there's nothing anyone can do."

"There's something someone can do," Grandpa said, trying his best to be cryptic. Of course, it didn't slip past me.

"Actually, that option isn't available anymore," I said, slowly.

"What do you mean," Grandma asked me, her mood mellowing.

"Walker lead a massive ghost invasion," I began. "When it was through, I was named the ghost responsible and public ghost enemy number one. I messed up, Grandma. I shot at Mom and Dad thinking they were overshadowed."

"What," Grandma asked alarmed. Grandpa stood motionless, completely surprised.

I covered my face with my glove, "I know I screwed up. I never imagined they were just happy that ghosts were discovered. They've always been so determined and convinced that ghosts existed that I never imagined that they'd need to see one to be certain. I saw them with a bunch of people I knew to be overshadowed and I just assumed. I never double checked."

"Okay, I'm going to go have a word with your mother," Grandpa said.

"No," I cried. "She may have loved you guys tremendously when you were human… but they're distrustful of ghosts. I don't know… they might…"

"Sweetheart, Maddie would have to really change to be that way," Grandma declared, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I shook my head, "I'd still rather keep the little relationship I have with my parents a pleasant one. I already dread going up against them again… I couldn't imagine not having a place to hide. It's the only thing that keeps me sane." I cleared my throat, feeling it trying to swell, "I miss my mom."

"I know you do, sweetie," Grandma said, softly. "But I promise you that Maddie was never that way."

"And she was seventeen," I said, softly. "She's aged. She's not the little girl you left before graduation. Jazz is almost her age from when you two died."

"Don't remind us," Grandpa said, playful. "We're dead and we're still aging!"

I smiled back at him, knowing he was only making light of the situation. Then something occurred to me. "Oh, crap! I'm late. I was supposed to just take care of Klemper. I've got to get back to school."

"Use the division," Grandpa stated, cryptic. "You'll find out you've been here longer than you think."

"Oh, great," I groaned. "Leave Vlad alone, guys. He's not someone you can mess with!"

I floated out of the doorway, saying my goodbyes as I left. I flew back to the portal as fast as allowed in the Ghost Zone and as I exited into the real world, I hit the sonic mark. I landed at the school, the police surrounding the premises. I grew panicked, wondering what I had missed. Then Grandpa's cryptic message hit me. No way!

I looked to my watch to see what time it was to gasp in surprise. I had left the school at ten o'clock and it was now after five. I hate how time has no meaning in the Ghost Zone! I transformed behind a tree and walked towards the entrance.

Crap! Crap! Crap! I don't imagine anything Sam and Tucker could do could get me out of this trouble. If it could, I'd imagine they'd already done so. I pulled out my new cell phone and dialed Samuels' number. I had to make this good.

"Samuels," his gruff voice came on the line.

"Hey, it…" I began.

"Radar," Samuels called, much lighter. "Why haven't I heard from you?"

Because you have the reputation of being able to spot a ghost from any distance, I thought to myself. "Been busy. Look, I got a minor problem and I was wondering…"

"Wadda need?"

"An excuse," I said, my voice hesitant.

"An excuse," Samuels called, surprised. "Radar, you could do that yourself."

"Listen," I said, casually, "I like to keep the fact that I have more authority than any one of my peers to myself and the ghost hunters. I don't like to admit… hm, that I'm, huh, the most powerful fourteen year old." I remember when that phrase wasn't so nerve wrecking.

"Well…" Samuels said, slowly. "Give me the number."

I shot off my school's number and said my goodbye. I hoped this would work.

XXX

I walked into the school, being escorted by an ecstatic police officer. I saw Sanchez, Norris, dozens of officers, every teacher on staff and horrifically, my parents. The officer—Havez being his name, I believe—walked me into the room, my parents crying my name and rushing to hug me. Now, here comes the hard part. To explain to them something I can't possibly tell them. Lying is definitely a qualification for being a halfa.

Mom swore to skin Samuels alive for taking me out of school and even worse for flying me to Washington, DC but she didn't question it. Samuels even had a log of where a helicopter had arrived at the airstrip and I had boarded it. Never underestimate the power of Division G. Mom threatened to ground me for an eternity but Samuels stated if I even got an hour, I'd be the primary breadwinner for our family. That was enough for her to 'reevaluate' things.

Sam and Tucker didn't know what to believe. They became really worried when I didn't return to our fourth period but stuck it out. They skipped their fifth periods to search for me and when they couldn't find me, during lunch they went for the ghost tracker. That had been when the mess began. With three students disappearing from the premises of a frequently haunted location, they began to fear the worst for me. The entire school was locked down until my safe return. I'm certain to visit a locker multiple times tomorrow.

I dismissed the 'threat', not really worried about it. I just worried about Vlad. Would I have to go to his apartment tonight or would he still be at the meeting. I hadn't heard. It shouldn't take much thought to know which one I'm hoping for.

I sat down to get some kind of work done. I had plans to hit the streets tonight and I wouldn't get another chance to get my homework complete. Of course, I didn't have much. I only attended four periods.

I worked diligently to finish my math homework before six when my cell phone rang on my nightstand. I abandoned the exercise, picking up my cell phone. The caller ID displayed an international call. Nervously, I answered the phone.

"Hello," I said, timidly.

"Daniel," his voice came across the line. I still held onto hope he wasn't telling me to meet him at the motel.

"Yes, sir," I spoke, my heart refusing to beat and my throat constricting.

"Agreements are taking longer than planned," Vlad answered in an annoyed voice. _Why don't I just overshadow their asses and force them to the merger_? "We're still on for the rain check. I'll call you tomorrow with instructions. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," I said, shock surly covering my features.

Vlad disconnected the line and I was met with the dead silence. I felt a small smile come to my lips but I suppressed it. It doesn't mean anything! I refuse to believe eating Froot Loops has caused this!

XXX

My alarm came screaming at me from the dead silence. I shot up, the exhaustion I felt crippling me. I had turned in at ten-ten last night but the damn night shift kept me up for most of the night. I slammed the alarm off, having a second thought of blowing it up. I retrieved an outfit from my closet and set out to dress.

The hallway was extremely quiet and dark for a school morning. I looked at my watch to make sure my alarm clock wasn't off. It was six-thirty. I shrugged, thinking maybe Jazz is sick. I quickly took a shower.

When I emerged from the bathroom, I was met with my tired mother. I stumbled back, not used to Mom meeting me on my way out of the bathroom. "Mom!"

"Sweetheart," Mom said, tiredly. "It's Saturday. You're trying to go to school on a Saturday again."

I felt the color drain from my face and I quickly glanced at my watch. Six-forty on a Saturday. Great! "I'm sorry," I commented, covering my head with my hands. "I get days mixed up so easily now."

Mom nodded, too tired to say anything. I felt wide awake, so I kissed her forehead and dismissed myself. I heard Mom returning to bed.

I opened the door and retrieved the paper from the porch. Some ghost attack meet me as today's headlines of the Amity Park Angle. That was the least of the attacks yesterday. Last night we nearly had a catastrophe when this mean looking ghost decided he was going to expand his haunt into the real world. I was alone as it was after three in the morning when my ghost sense stirred me from my sleep. I stayed outside for forty-five minutes expelling his workers and capturing him.

I sat down, beginning to flip through the paper. A few articles were written in the opinion section about me but I chose to ignore them. I didn't need the added stress. Halfway through the paper, my hearing picked up a commotion upstairs. By human means, it was quiet so it wasn't Dad but to my ears it was loud. I took my eyes off the paper and looked upstairs, curiosity getting the best of me.

A few moments later, Mom descended the stairs dressed in her usual attire. I groaned, knowing I had caused her to wake so much earlier than her usual wake up time on a Saturday. Mom walked into the kitchen, barely noticing me. I folded the paper and tucked it under my arm, choosing to follow her.

Mom began to perk the coffee and I knew immediately what had caused her to turn a blind eye to me. Mom sat down at the table, propping her arm on the wooden surface. I took a seat casually beside her, dropping the paper lightly to the surface. Mom looked up from the soft sound the drop caused.

"Sweetie, why are you up so early," Mom asked me, drained.

"I was already up," I gave a simple excuse. "What about you? You look nothing like a beautiful woman ready to tackle the day."

Mom smiled wearily, "I haven't been that woman in a long time."

I cocked my head to the side, puzzled by her response. "Mom, you have been that woman for most of my life. Even when I myself didn't have the strength to continue, you've been that woman."

Mom smiled again, this time the action reaching her eyes. "You're the one I can't figure out. You act as if you've always got this crushing responsibility over your head and if you don't use every available resource, it'll collapse on top of you. What's going on in your life, honey?"

My eyes darted to find anything less demanding. Mom's gaze, especially before her coffee, could drain the oceans and its tributaries. I didn't want to falter here. "Nothing, really," I lied. "Just normal teenage pressures."

"You've never been a typical teenager," Mom lamented, propping her head upon her extended arm. "I refuse to believe that these past few months have changed this dramatically without an equally dramatic cause. Why don't you allow me to help?"

Because you'll destroy me, I thought to myself, the extra burden crushing me. I hated lying to her. Mom and I use to be so close. We shared everything and I enjoyed the intimacy. But when I became half ghost, I began to wonder what my new status would do to our relationship. I tried to pretend nothing had happened, but with the way my mother is, I had to pull away to keep my secret.

"What do you say we take a morning walk before Jazz and Dad stir around," I offered. Surly I could fit a brisk walk into my schedule.

Mom's eyes brightened at this and I knew the four-to-six inches of snow that fell last night wouldn't deter her. Mom and Dad lived in a small town west of Cleveland, Ohio meaning that the snow that blew off of Lake Erie constantly covered their home.

Before the coffee finished perking, I rose from my seat taking two mugs from the cabinet. Mom glanced at me questionably when I done this but I proceeded to descend upon the coffee pot. I poured two mugs, adding the cream and sugar to Mom's like she liked it. I left mine black.

I handed Mom her steaming mug as I passed to my chair. I took a large gulp of coffee within the first twenty seconds of sitting. The caffeine did nothing to awaken me.

"Danny," Mom brought me from my withdrawal. I looked up to see her horrified eyes staring at me. "Honey, don't do that. You'll burn yourself!"

"Do what," I asked, confused. I took another big gulp.

"That," Mom cried, her face completely distorted with the fear of burning myself. "Honey, take small sips."

I looked back into my cup, more than half its contents emptied. The steam did lift off the black liquid in a desperate attempt to cool itself. I guess to any normal person, the liquid would burn the back of the throat. I chuckled aloud, trying to think of something.

"I guess I'm not completely awake," I choked out. I tried to feign a burning sensation, holding my throat the way someone would when they drink too hot of a liquid.

"Honey, please be more careful when doing that," Mom said, taking a small sip of her coffee. Mom let out a small cry of discomfort from the contact with her lips. Her hand instantly came to the aid of her burning mouth. "It's extremely hot!"

"Are you okay," I asked, concerned. I didn't feel any of the coffee's effects. The burn might cause some damage to my throat but it would heal so fast that nothing could be left to witness it.

"Yeah," Mom said, withdrawing her hand now that it hurt less. "Some of it just slipped onto my mouth. You're the one who took two large gulps of the lava beverage!"

"What can I say," I answered, more playful, "Coffeemade doesn't have anything on Fentoncoffee."

Mom smiled at me. Without thinking, I turned my cup up and downed the final third of the liquid, standing up. I could hear Mom's slight catch of her breath so I knew I'd screwed up. I let out a small cry of discomfort, beginning to laugh afterwards.

"No one ever said you were the brightest," Mom remarked from behind me. I washed out the cup, placing it in the drainer.

"That's true," I said, taking my seat again. I waited patiently for Mom to finish her coffee.

XXX

Mom was bundled in a coat that was warm but not thick. I had a small sweater-jacket tied around my waist, just to satisfy her. I tried putting it on but I started to feel so uncomfortable that I ended up tying it around my waist. We walked along the yet-to-be plowed streets, stepping on the freshly spewed snow. The most snow had fallen overnight and I knew exactly at what time. I was throwing out the ghost when two inches alone fell. Mom had her hands shoved in her coat, the thin material her HAZMAT suit was made of doing nothing to keep her hands from freezing.

Every once and a while, Mom's eyes would fall over me looking for any sign I was cold. I tried to add a few chills here and there but they came off so fake I was afraid I'd have her feeling my forehead. The slight snow that trickled from the heavens fell into Mom's hair and stuck while mine melted immediately and the liquid would slip into my eyes.

My body temperature had proved a major problem when the winter arrived. Just being outside would cause steam to collect around my body at the beginning of November. To prevent my secret from being blown to smithereens, I had to learn how to transfer some of the cold from my ghost form to the warmth of my human form. It had proved tricky at first but I eventually learned how to pour the cold into the heat. As Sam had commented, it was like I was two cups of very contracting liquids and I just used one to cool the other. Still, the transfer did nothing to chill my spiked temperature.

The snow falling now proves that. While I have managed to reduce my temperature so the steam won't pour off of my exposed flesh, my temperature is still exceeding one-sixty which means I am by far the hottest thing around, temperature wise. I watched Mom from the corner of my eye shiver but brush it off. I felt guilty, knowing because of my ignorance to the cold, Mom was trying her best to ignore it too.

"Are you wanting to turn around," I asked her, watching how the shivers increased.

Mom shook another shiver, "It's not me that's making me do this. Even though it's cold out here, you're walking here like it's the middle of spring!"

I shrugged my shoulders, "I guess I'm more tolerant of the weather."

"More like immune," Mom stated, her voice distorted with the grunt that she had meant to cover the phrase. I couldn't believe it. Mom was jealous.

"If you want to turn around," I said, trailing off. We could always find some other way to occupy our time at home without freezing her.

"No," Mom said, her voice absent from the grumble now. Without warning, Mom pulled me close to her, "I wouldn't… Danny?"

I pulled back, surly my eyes going wide. Even though I had tried to balance my temperature, I was still way too hot for a normal human. I tried to make my voice sound casual but I could hear the failure in my response, "Y-yeah, Mom?"

"Honey, you are burning up," Mom called, fearful. "You're right. We should go back!"

"Mom, wait… nothing's wrong. I'm all right," I said, much too panicked to sound sure.

"The hell you are," Mom cried, alarmed. "Honey, you've got a high fever. I'm surprised you can even walk and carry a conversation."

"Mom," I said, growing fearful. Think, Fenton, think or you're dead!

Mom grabbed me by my arm and turning around, began to drag me back to the house. My mind froze, unable to comprehend what I should do. If she makes it to a thermometer, she'll take my temperature and find out how hot my 'fever' really is. At this moment, she can only feel the heat through her glove. I can't bring that temperature down any more or it starts to affect my vitals. One-ninety-four is now normal for me. If I go below what I am now, I go into hypothermia because I have no heat for my ghost form.

Mom pulled me along, desperate to get back to the house while I desperately thought of a way out of this. I didn't have a clue what to do, but I couldn't let her test my temperature. No human should survive the temperatures I've called normal. No human should have a fever of near 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

"Mom, please, listen to me," I said, my voice high as I panicked. "This is nothing… I mean, I'm not… Mom, this is normal!"

Mom turned towards me, completely surprised, "What?"

"This is my new norm," I informed her. At her confusion, I continued, "The portal accident. It spiked my temperature."

"Honey," Mom tried to speak but her voice broke. She stopped momentarily but continued on.

"What are you doing," I asked, alarmed.

"I've got to get your temperature down," Mom said, still scared.

"Didn't you hear me," I cried out, "This is my new norm!"

"I know you think it's okay, but I understand the human body better," Mom replied, her voice conveying how much she was freaking out.

I pulled at her arm but she held on tightly. I thought about pulling away with my powers but I was on thin ice as it was. Mom pulled me to the lab and, as I'd feared, took my temperature. Mom began to fill the tub in the basement with cold water. She wouldn't listen to me, stripping me down to my boxers. She forced me into the water, the steam pouring off my skin like the hot cup of coffee we had earlier.

Mom disappeared after she put me in the water. I stood up, desperate to get away from her. If she lowered my temperature, I didn't know what would happen but I knew it wouldn't be good. I began to balance my temperatures, cooling my ghost form and warming my human. I shivered, the pure cold water drenching me.

I grabbed an old sheet that they keep downstairs and wrapped it around me. I was actually freezing now, with Mom having put me in the cold water while my temperatures were off balanced. I felt myself become colder and I wrapped myself in the sheet tighter.

"Daniel James Fenton, I want you back in that tub this instant," Mom declared, carrying bags of ice. I stepped back, fearing her intentions.

"Mom, please, this isn't good. I-I'm freezing," I called out, shivering.

"It's just the shock," Mom said. "I'll do it gradual so it won't overwhelm you. I know what I'm doing."

"I-I'm sure you do," I answered, feeling colder and colder. Mom steered me towards the tub and my instincts told me to fight. I tried to resist but I was growing weaker as my core went into hypothermia. "Mom, please, listen-listen to me."

Mom picked me up and put me back in the water. Needles penetrated into my mind, the cold paralyzing. Mom poured a bag of ice into the water and I could feel my vitals shutting down. My heart beat began to slow and my breathing picked up. I looked to the tips of my fingers to notice they were turning a pale blue. This wasn't good.

"Mom, please," I said, but my voice was just too low. I could feel the sleepiness taking hold of me but I fought the strain. "Mom…"

"It'll be okay," Mom said. The corners of my vision began to go black as I started to slip from consciousness. Of all the ways to go… I never imagined an innocent walk would send me to meet my maker.

"I-I love you," I said, feeling myself slipping away.

"Danny," Mom's voice spoke as she vanished from sight. I heard one last cry of my name then all vanished.

I shot awake, my alarm still blaring past seven. My vitals spiked to life, my heart beating loud against my chest. I smacked the alarm, my breathing hard for more than one reason. Of course, this hadn't been the first time I'd dreamed of my death but it was the closest one in the timeline. I had been so close to the timeline, I hadn't even realized I was dreaming. As I sat up, one thought came to my mind: maybe we'll just play a game of checkers!

**AN: I'm evil, aren't I? Check out the chapter companions. Earlier companions are available at ****fan fiction dot net slash my forums slash Team 04 Phantom slash 3876657**.** Please PM or review any questions you may have. I hope to hear from you.**


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or Control Freaks.

AN: This story contains rape and male sex. If this disturbs you, please do not read.

Chapter Ten: Control

I started my day the way my dream said I would except I wore a long-sleeved shirt and I was ready when I met Mom at the bathroom. Instead of pretending I didn't know today was Saturday, I just told her I forgot to turn my alarm off and when I woke up, I couldn't get back to sleep. It was much later in the morning than what my dream had told me it would be because I had the dream. Before I picked up the paper, I started the coffee pot.

Mom came down the stairs but I continued to read the paper. I had a mug of coffee sitting on the coffee table while I began to sip mine. Before, I downed them in big gulps like in my dream.

"I got you a cup right here, Mom," I addressed her, not looking up from the paper. I was reading about some headline in another part of the country.

"How'd you know I was gonna get up," Mom asked me, a smile on her lips but her voice groggy. She took a seat beside me on the couch and grabbed the coffee hungrily.

"It's still hot," I advised her. "You may want to be careful."

"Thank you, honey," Mom said, taking a cautious sip of the coffee. She withdrew the cup from her lips immediately, not wanting to burn herself.

"It wasn't very hard to guess you'd be up," I stated something very close to the truth. She didn't have to know my ghost powers told me.

"Well, I appreciate the coffee," Mom said, finally taking a drink. She exhaled loudly, the liquid stinging down her throat. I followed her, taking it in moderation to explain why the liquid wouldn't cause me to have a similar reaction.

"I was wondering…" I trailed off, my dream still vivid in my memory. "Maybe we could do something until Dad and Jazz wake up."

Just as before, Mom's eyes lit up with the prospect of us hanging out together. I had to be careful, though. I wasn't naïve. There are multiple ways for my secret to be busted wide open and it didn't all involve the cold and my temperature.

XXX

I had my head in the refrigerator, digging around for the ingredients for a Fenton-Family breakfast. Mom had taken her place at the counter, cutting flour in with buttermilk. I rummaged until I came to the counter beside her, balancing eggs, bacon, sausage, milk, oranges and a tightly bound brown package. I placed them all on the counter and began to separate them into piles. The meat in one area of the counter, the milk beside of Mom where it could be paired with the previously-used flour; I placed the brown package in another area and the oranges beside the juicer.

"You're starting to look like Rachel Ray," Mom mused at me, with a smile.

"I think I've outdone her," I commented, beginning to open the meats' packaging. I pulled out a large group of bacon and proceeded to the griddle. I placed the bacon on the flat surface and turned on the heat. I proceeded to my self-assigned task, grabbing a knife from the drawer. I began to cut up slices of sausage, four in all. I placed them on the burner.

Mom began to cut out the biscuits, glancing at me every so often. I unwrapped the brown package, beginning to place the sickly looking light colored substance on the griddle, my nose wrinkling. I didn't know if it had any smell or what but I knew what it was. Tofu.

"Still not giving Sam's lifestyle a chance," Mom chuckled, watching me carefully working with the protein-rich vegetable.

"I don't know how she made the change at such a young age," I commented, thinking back before Sam swore off meat.

"A lot of children become vegetarians when they realize what meat actually is," Mom commented, placing the five to six biscuits she made into a greased pan. "Just very few put in the research to discover what food groups used to be alive."

I laughed, remembering Sam's hell-bent quest to 'expose' the foods of the world. Sam had refused to eat anything that was alive before it was ready to eat. I still remember Sam's child-like resolve to never eat again, because plants too are alive. It didn't take long for her to come to the conclusion that when she ate plants, they were giving her a piece of them, not dying, so we could feel good about ourselves.

"Sam was determined," I commented. "Could you imagine the difficulty we'd have with Tucker if he realized all the vegetables he ate?"

Mom shivered, "I'd have to pull some wool over that boy's eyes like I do with Sam. Everyone needs meat… it supplements nutrients that can't be given elsewhere. She's on so many supplemental vitamins it isn't even funny. Thank goodness she allows me to invent some vegetarian meals or she'd have to be on so many more."

I nodded my head, not completely understanding the scientific reasons Sam should eat a more balanced diet. While both of my friends have terrible dietary habits, Tucker is actually the one who is better off. As Mom explained, the animals eat the plants and Tucker eats the meat from the animals. While his other lifestyle choices causes him to fall behind Sam, Tucker's eating habits are actually healthier… if not more expensive.

I returned the meats and the tofu back to the refrigerator, continuing with my breakfast duties. I dropped a small teaspoon of grease into a pan and began to melt it over low heat. I added half a cup of flower by eye to the pan, mixing the two contents until they made a thick paste. When it reached the right color, I added the milk. Mom had the biscuits in the oven, the dough rising. Breakfast would be ready soon.

XXX

Mom and I engaged into small talk, not going too deep in our conversations. I enjoyed chatting with her, but the discussions were no deeper than a small puddle. As we began to plate the food, I heard the front door open and close softly. I smiled, knowing exactly who had 'invaded' our house.

"Oh, man," I heard Tucker cry happily, obviously the smell greeting him. Mom smiled knowingly at me as we put the dishes in the right spots. Sam entered into the kitchen first, Tucker pushing her along as he desperately wanted to reach the source of the smell.

"Tucker," Sam cried out, upset.

"I don't blame you for wanting to drag to breakfast but mine is actually good," Tucker stated, insulting Sam's breakfast. Mom and I smiled, knowing those two would never see eye to eye when it came to food choices.

"I'm going to go wake up your father and sister," Mom said to me, kissing me on my hair. I looked up to her, the smile never leaving my lips. "Thank you for the morning, honey."

"I miss these moments, too, Mom," I commented, my smile faltering to a sad one. "I'll try not to get so caught up that I forget my family again."

I traced Mom's eyes until she turned to disappear up the steps. My smile faded, thinking that too soon I'll be back on the clock with my hell. I turned my eyes on my friends, their gazes displaying confusion. I took a shaky breath, taking my seat.

"What was that all about," Sam asked me.

"I forgot yesterday was Friday," I answered after a breath. "I woke up and began to go about my day like it was a school morning. Mom came to the bathroom and told me what today was."

"Okay," Tucker said, knowing there was more to the story.

"Okay, so I decided I wanted to spend some time with Mom since only us two was up. I asked her if she wanted to go for a walk and we went for a morning stroll. I didn't wear a jacket," I said, my voice trailing.

"Oh, no, Danny," Sam said, seeing the dilemma.

"Yeah," I replied. "Mom kept asking me if I was cold and I was telling her I was fine. I balanced my sides so I wouldn't be steaming but Mom, out of the blue, hugged me. She felt my temperature."

"Oh, no," Tucker said, his eyes displaying his fear.

"Yeah," I said, shakily, "She put me in cold water and ice… I was dying. Hypothermia setting in. There was no way out of it…"

"What are you talking about," Sam asked me, her voice going high. "Are you saying Mrs. Fenton knows you're half ghost."

"I have no doubt in my dream she found out," I finally added a big piece of the puzzle. "I woke up when I died of hypothermia. It was so real," I continued after their faces displayed total fear. "That was the path it would have taken if I'd done that this morning. I was destined to die today."

"Danny," Sam whispered, breathless.

"Yeah," I said, looking in their direction but not meeting their eyes. "I could feel myself dying. I never once got the impression I was dreaming until I shot awake," I said, my voice low. "I hate to think about what would have happened if I didn't dream that. Surly, I would not be here talking to you two."

Tucker's eyes glassed over in unshed tears. My pathetic dreams are just that until moments like these. Then they're prophetic dreams, which is the actual name of the power. That dream last night saved my life.

XXX

After breakfast, Sam, Tuck and I went to the lab to do some training. I was still desperately trying to improve with my powers so that maybe I could stand a chance against Vlad. I'm not sure if I will ever challenge him for my freedom back but I want to be able to protect my family if ever the need arises. Tucker was on the computer, doing his own version of training with his PDA and hacking. Sam was on the program, trying to beat level eight. I was concentrating hard on figuring out how to move an object without using my hands or using them to form a beam.

I could feel a headache coming on as I stared at the object of my attention for going on five minutes. I could feel a bead of sweat slip down my forehead as I concentrated my entire being on the metal box Mom and Dad store their tools in. I had been trying this game for weeks with still no success. No matter how hard I concentrated, all I ever did to it was stare at it for minutes at a time.

I knitted my eyebrows closer together, trying to imagine it flying to me. That had to be the trick but no matter how many times I imagined it flying to me, I could never get the result. After eight minutes, I heard Sam grunt and a loud thud. I ignored the noise, knowing what it was. We all three had points in our training we couldn't quite get passed.

Ten minutes went past when I heard the voice on Tucker's computer announcing termination of files and him grunting. Tucker reached as far as he could get before being thrown out of the hacking program. I continued to focus on the tool box, imagining it floating to me. Nothing seemed to work, the box not even shaking from the concentration I was placing on it. The same could not be said for me, my body shaking side to side from the tremors.

Sixteen minutes had evaporated since we initiated in the training. I heard Sam once again being expelled from the program, the level defeating her. Time began to proceed, Tucker being thrown out at twenty minutes. My knees began to weaken as my body drained from the concentration I put on the box. Twenty-four minutes. Thirty minutes. Thirty-six minutes. Forty minutes. Finally, at forty-eight minutes, I felt my powers kick and I knew I was about to be thrown back, painfully. I slammed into the anti-ecto walls of the lab, screaming as the shock jolted through my body.

"Damnit!"

"Danny," Sam and Tucker ran crying to me. Sam and Tucker left their programs incomplete as they rushed over, helping me to my feet. I rubbed the back of my head, wincing at the pain.

"I'm okay," I said, retracting my hand as the throbbing ceased. "Damn, why can't I figure that out?"

"What exactly are you doing," Tucker asked me. "I thought for the longest time you were lost."

I chuckled, "No. It's something I've been trying lately. Picking up an object without the use of my hands." I threw my hand up as my mood turned darker, "No matter how hard I picture it floating or concentrate on the damned thing, it ends up kicking me back from the energy I put into it."

"What makes you think that you can," Sam asked me. For my friends, it was an honest question.

"I saw Plasmius do it," I answered, looking down. "That man… he can do so much. I try to reach his level but it's like there are several floors with no steps. I can't jump to it and I'm just faltering… falling."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Sam said, wrapping an arm around my neck. "This guy has had his powers for years. You've only had yours five months."

"But I don't take kindly to that large of a difference between our powers," I stated angrily, shrinking away from her touch. I hated how much more powerful Vlad was from me. It made me feel small and insignificant. "I mean, there's this ghost… he can do anything. He wants my dad dead for crying out loud and he wants my mom… and it's not like he'd let something like consent stop him…" I froze as I realized what I said.

"What," Sam asked, her look horrified.

Tuckers on the other hand mirrored fury, "Are you saying…"

I forced a resignation sigh, "I'm just saying… this guy is so powerful. I'm not sure anyone can beat him."

Tucker's anger suffocated away while Sam held on the look of horror. I turned away from her stare, a light clicking in her head I'm sure. I'd said too much and now Sam knows. She was too close before. All I needed to do was give her a shred of evidence.

"Danny, no one is going to hurt Mom," Tucker said, not noticing Sam's expression.

"I'm just scared," I admitted. "Before I met him… I-I believed I could handle anything threatening my family but that night… that night I faced something I couldn't even begin to wrap my head around. Then he went after my parents, and I came so close," I trailed off for the third time in my sentence. "I had an advantage. I was naïve and believed I could just say I'm a ghost and everything would continue as it were. Now, I don't have that comfort. If he tries anything again, I'm solely relying on my powers. They're… not enough."

"But Danny, you're progressing so much. Every day you get stronger. Every day, another piece of you falls into your work. Every day, you become unstoppable," Tucker stated, truly believing every word he was saying.

"That's just it, Tucker, I'm not. Not really. It's this damn situation I've found myself in. I get stronger because of the line I walk. I have two worlds I draw strength from… if one is failing me, I know I have another. The other ghosts, they don't have this advantage but Vl—Plasmius," I said, nearly slipping up, "Plasmius has this advantage too. We're so much alike yet I want to be nothing like him. If I received my powers the way I was supposed to… I'd be nothing. With him, I show who I really am."

"He's using psychology on you," I heard Sam's frail voice say, the words breaking in her throat.

"Are you okay," I said, walking over to her. Where was I a moment ago? Tucker hadn't noticed Sam's broken state. I had. What kind of friend am I?

"Yeah," Sam said, closing her eyes as she tried to compose herself. "Your words… they just caused some bad images. I'll be fine. And don't beat yourself up over it."

Too late, I thought sourly as I held her petite hands in my blocky ones. "It's okay," I said, my voice nearly breaking. "I won't let anyone else hurt you."

"I don't need your protection," Sam said, her violet eyes shining into mine. "I'm fine… it's just… sometimes I still feel that small part of me try to suffocate me." Tucker now joined us, him watching silently and uninvolved. "I try to wash away those feelings… but sometimes… they're harder than I would like to admit."

"I know," I said, softly. I knew exactly how she felt. It was hard to admit you were powerless to something else. Sam hadn't been powerless to her attackers like I am but she is powerless to the memories. They flash in her head, reminding her every day how much of a screw up she is. Of course, they're wrong but I know how convincing those memories can be.

"Do you," Sam asked me, her eyes penetrating deeper into mine. Her voice was kind and soft, not accusing. I felt a lump form in my throat as I once again wondered if she could discover my deepest secret. "I wonder sometimes, you know? If that's what happened over the holiday. It fits, too," Sam stated. Her voice was so low. I really don't believe there was anything Tucker could do to hear her words. Even I fought to pick them up. I wondered if she was even speaking or if she was just making inaudible sounds that I deciphered.

"Guys," Tucker interrupted our connection. I looked away, grateful for anything to escape those purple orbs. "Why am I excluded from this?" Tucker remarked, his lips displaying a scrawl. Tucker couldn't hear our conversation and he couldn't read our body language. It was getting on his nerves.

"It's just me," Sam spoke up before I could gain my bearings. "I-I can't exactly explain it, Tuck, but I've had this suspicion about Danny for a while and I didn't want to say anything in front of you."

"Hey, I'm your friend too," Tucker said, hurt. "I can handle this."

"Oh, come on, Tuck," Sam said, turning her eyes on him. "You wear your heart on your sleeve. I'm surprised that you haven't spilled about my incident!"

"I got it when they attacked me," Tucker admitted. "I guess Danny somehow understood better… probably from the ghost attacks. To you two, it was easy to explain what happened but that evening when I went home… I couldn't imagine telling my parents or anyone else."

I stood in the back, now the one out of the conversation. However, I didn't find it as upsetting as Tucker had. Sam was so close to discovering my secret… actually, I'm almost convinced she's convinced herself. I felt the anger in my body rise as I cursed the C-crew. If they hadn't put her in that situation… she'd never known what it was like. She wouldn't be broken now, fighting to keep the shatters from appearing. I laughed bitterly to myself, knowing that's it's official. Whatever happens to me, happens to Sam. Of course, that also meant I was responsible for her attack.

"… I'm not entirely sure," Sam's soft voice cut me back to reality. "Some days I'm convinced that I'm right," Sam said, speaking slowly, "then I'm second guessing myself. It's not just that I don't think you can keep it a secret… cause I know you can. It's that I'm not sure if I'm right and I don't want to scare you."

I wanted to speak up. They were not one foot from me and talking like I wasn't even there. "Well, maybe we could figure it out together?" Why can't I stop them? Why can't I move? It's like Vlad has frozen me again but I know that it's me, not something or someone else.

"I don't want to scare you," Sam said, her voice low. "I don't want you to get scared too." Stop them, Fenton. They're scared and you have the power to give them false security.

"Sam," Tucker said, his eyes on me.

Do something, damn it, before they get too close! Damnit, Fenton, get a grip. "Danny," Sam asked me, her eyes shining with tears. She's crying because of you! She's shed too many God damn tears on your behalf. Stop her from shedding more!

"What is your theory," Tucker asked, his voice frail. Damn it, Fenton, move. Breathe. Something, before they read you like the book you're resembling.

"I-I," Sam struggled to find her words. "Danny?"

"Come on, Sam, whatever you're thinking it's true. Look at him," Tucker declared, lifting an arm in my direction. I didn't know what I looked like but I was giving myself away.

"Maybe he's just zoned out," Sam said, her voice frail and weak.

"Sam, stop letting your fear grip you. Whatever you're getting at, you're right," Tucker snapped.

No, no, no… please, God, no! Just stop it. Just stop it.

"I can't be right, Tuck," Sam said, a tear slipping down her cheek. "I just can't."

"What is it, Sam," Tucker demanded again. I willed myself to come back to life but nothing worked. I was once again comatose and it would be minutes before I could return.

"I-I think… Danny was… I mean to say…" Sam repeatedly started, more tears streaming down her face. Just let me wake up. Let this be another dream. I don't want to do this. I can't do this.

"Sam," Tucker snapped again.

"I think Danny was raped," Sam stated, her shoulders falling in defeat. I felt my heart explode. It was out. They know who it is. They know what is going on. Vlad is going to take me to the island and I'll never see my family again. There will never again be any freedom. I will never know a moment of my life from here on out that isn't spent in excruciating pain. Vlad will kill my family and take me.

"What are you talking about," Tucker said, recoiling back from Sam. "Danny's a guy. Guys can't be raped."

Please, God, no. I can't take this. My world is spiraling out of control. I can't stop it. Please, make it stop. "Tucker, they can," Sam said, her shoulders shaking. "By men, by women… rape isn't only something that happens to girls."

"But… he's Danny."

"That doesn't make him invincible."

"But.. who?"

I couldn't do anything but listen to them. I stood there, motionless, watching as my world came crashing around me. Sam's crying and Tucker's denial went on unnoticed as I just focused on my hell. I blocked out my friends, I blocked out my world… I just sat there, in the spinning darkness.

XXX

I opened my eyes, groggily. Seeing my ceiling, I took a collective breath. It was just a dream. I'm just dreaming… even as I thought this, I could feel wet drops rolling down my cheeks. Outside my window, the sun burned brightly. I came to a sitting position on my bed, wiping the tears on my face. It wasn't. I'm still screwed.

"Danny," My two friends rushed over to me, surrounding me on my bed.

"Are you okay," Sam asked me.

My shoulders shook as I continued to spill water down my face. They knew. They knew the truth and when Vlad returned from his trip, he would take me.

"Danny, please," Tucker asked me, the fear and his tears intermixed in his green eyes.

I still couldn't form any words. I pulled my knees up to my chest, placing my head on my knees. I wrapped my arms around my knees, feeling so alone. What is wrong with me? First, I can't keep the secret from my grandparents and now my friends? What is so different this week than it was the first three?

"Danny," Sam spoke softly, "We know Plasmius raped you."

I hugged my knees tighter, my shoulders shaking as I cried.

"We don't know anything," Tucker retorted. "Not until Danny admits it."

"Tucker," Sam's voice stated. "Look at him. Now who's turn is it to be in denial?"

"I-," my voice cracked. I focused, trying desperately to find my voice. "I don't," I found another word but my mind tried to shut down again. "I don't know."

"What do you mean," Sam asked me softly.

"P-Plasmius has mind control," I blurted out. I lifted my head from my knees, taking in their broken appearances.

"Mind control," Tucker asked, confused.

"The way I can give you guys your powers… it's something along those lines. Plasmius takes over your mind and plants memories or visions with the slightest of ease. That night, when he attacked me, I remember fighting him… then things start going fuzzy. I remember running from him, a feeling of disgust and fear crippling me. I woke up later back in bed. I-I can't shake the feeling that-that he did something to me."

I had to do everything in my power to throw them off. This was easy… I truly had lived that feeling for two and a half weeks. Sometimes, the memory of Vlad raping me that first time was so crystal clear it would paralyze me then there were times that it returned to me as a dream. I wasn't sure what had happened. That next week was Spirit week and Spectra only made it worse. I got so depressed… so heartbroken.

"So you mean he may not have hurt you," Tucker asked me, his eyes shining in happiness.

"He hurt me," I said, my voice low, "But whether it was physically or mentally I don't know." I wasn't lying. I'm not sure which pain he caused me hurts worse. The physical pain is hell in the moment but the mental pain radiates. Comparably, I don't know which one I hate the most.

Sam pulled me in and I struggled from crushing her. I wrapped my arms around her, taking her comfort. "We're here, Danny. You don't have to go through this alone anymore."

I could feel myself slipping, breaking. I fought until I couldn't stave off the emotions anymore. I cried on Sam's shoulder, breathing in her scent and wishing desperately that I could smell it. I also desperately wished I was stronger for them.

I felt a weight come upon me and I opened my eyes to see Tucker hugging me as well. I removed one hand from Sam to wrap around my other friend. We stayed like this for what seemed like hours, unable to move for fear that we'd fall into a hole so deep none of us could escape. Finally, I found my usual strength that I had for being a Fenton. I pulled away, keeping my hands on their shoulders.

I looked to Sam first, then to Tucker, saying softly, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you two this to begin with. I know I shouldn't pull away… but I just feel—I just feel like I let you guys down so much lately."

"Danny, you've never let us down," Sam said, wiping her eyes.

"Yes, I have. If I hadn't been turned half ghost, none of this would be on our heads."

"Danny, that's my fault," Sam said, the tears returning.

"No," I said, removing my hand from her shoulder to her hands. "I've told you, Sam, all you did was ask to see the portal. I'm the one who disobeyed my parents and went into the lab."

"But if I-I hadn't asked for the picture, you wouldn't have tripped," Sam began, the weight of her guilt threatening to crush her.

"Sam, you are not responsible for my clumsiness," I said, my eyes capturing hers. "Hell, if Mom hadn't caught me I'd imagine I'd had the accident right there in front of Mom and Dad. Could you imagine not being there with me… hell, maybe they would have turned the portal off."

Tucker's face paled, the fear showing in his eyes. We had discovered some time ago through some experimentation that if the portal would have been turned off or disrupted during my accident, I wouldn't have survived. It took five minutes, no more no less, to turn me half ghost. I have seven little green blobs (think Flubber) that I call half-ghosts and 299 gel substances that died in the experimentation. After the accident, Tucker had been furious with Mom and Dad for not including his thumb print for authorized personnel and yelled at them for three full minutes. It came as a shock to realize the slip-up had saved my life. Mom, Dad and Jazz knew minimal facts about the accident. What happened was much more serious than the 'short' I told them I felt.

Another image filled my mind. The accident had been hell. I have since felt something more painful but I will never find anything more terrifying. Dying is one thing but dying in front of your two best friends, them watching you helplessly, crying and screaming your name is something that no one can ever imagine without experiencing it.

Tucker leaned in, his head propping on top of my shoulder. My arm followed him as he moved from his previous position and when he settled in I draped my arm around his neck. Sam took this time to lay back on top of me, her head pressured against my chest. I breathed a sigh of relief. Things were returning back to the way they were supposed to be.

I bit a bullet. And I knew it.

Six o'clock arrived and we three headed out to the streets. I walked beside my three friends, each of us having a thermos and Sam and Tucker having their chosen weapons in small form. The streets were pretty normal, no overall danger around. The same old ghosts were out and about and we took care of them like usual. We kept our profile low and no one saw the ghost boy. When nine-thirty came, we had thirty ghosts in the thermoses. It was still a shock to know how many ghosts now just decide to come out of the portal, one month after the incident.

We stopped at Sam's house first like always, neither Tucker or I willing to risk Sam's safety. Sam hated being escorted home all the time, but she gave little objection. Sam knew I wasn't being discriminatory. Tucker got the same treatment though I had to pass my house to reach his from Sam's.

"Get some sleep tonight, Danny. Don't let the night time ghosts bother you, just for tonight," Sam said. I nodded my head but inwardly knew the first ghost sense I got I'd fly to beat them back to the Ghost Zone. "Night Tucker. Call me if you need me, Danny."

"Get some sleep yourself, Sam," I replied, watching her walk up her stairs. When Sam disappeared from sight, Tuck and I started towards his house.

As we passed my house, Tucker glanced at his watch. I didn't need to wonder why he was so curious about the time. "I'm not leaving."

"Oh, come on, Danny. I can handle the C-crew," Tucker complained.

"And I can handle my parents," I commented, not faltering once.

"Danny, I'd be more scared of Mom and Dad than the C-crew. They're the ones who can do real damage."

"Oh, Mom and Dad aren't that bad. As long as I have black hair and blue eyes, I'm fine around them."

Tucker laughed, "Yeah, well they still prove an obstacle to Danny Fenton. If you keep missing curfew, Mom and Dad may do something drastic."

"I'm not concerned about that and neither should you," I replied.

"And why aren't you concerned. You get grounded two times a month and your grounding punishments usually last a week. You're nearly always grounded. If we didn't lie to Mom and Dad and say you were over at my house, we'd never get to go ghost hunting."

"I haven't let it stop me so far," I replied. "Why would I let it stop me now?"

"You wouldn't," Tucker replied in a monotone. "That's why I'm trying to talk some sense in you."

"You're not getting rid of me," I said, my house disappearing from sight. The green glow still discolored the dark sky but that's the only sight of it left in the area. The glow was almost visible from miles around.

Tucker groaned but didn't say anything further. We finished the walk to his house and I watched him disappear inside after a quick goodbye. I turned to walk back to my house. I glanced at my watch and it said ten minutes before ten. If I walked briskly to my last ghost attack of the day, I may make it home before curfew.

I could see my house in sight and a ghost still hadn't attacked. I was getting suspicious. It never fails, I'm always attacked on my way home from patrolling. The ghosts discovered that when I was grounded, I was actually a bit distracted and didn't win the battles as easy. Of course now I don't get as easily distracted but they still try. They've come up with a plan to make me late every night so maybe I'll be forced to quit. It hasn't worked, of course, but it still doesn't deter them.

I stopped my progression, eyes scanning the surrounding area. The only glow was my house and the street lights. It wasn't right. There was something wrong. I just didn't know what. I picked back up from where I left off, heading home. Maybe they've got the hint.

I was less than two houses away from my own when I felt the chill. Just great, Fenton, you cursed yourself! I ducked behind a tree and transformed, seeking the ghost as I did. However, as soon as I transformed I felt him before I seen him. His energy screamed at me like nothing I've ever felt. I felt myself grow weaker for some reason, a different kind of feeling going through me.

This isn't my first brush with this kind of element. My parents rarely get a hold of the stuff because it's so rare but when they did after my accident, I had to spend the night at Tuckers. I felt my body being torn apart, just being in the vicinity overpowering. I prayed that Mom and Dad had gotten a new shipment in because if it wasn't theirs, then that means that it belongs to this new ghost.

"Are you Danny Phantom," I heard a booming voice ask me. I looked up, my insides tearing out. My eyes fell upon this new ghost. Of Asian descent, he stood tall and proud. His black hair swept into his face casually but his eyes sent chills down my spine. His eyes were black as coal… irises that displayed pure evil.

"Who wants to know," I asked, trying to sound indifferent.

"Your reputation precedes you. I always enjoy a challenge and when I heard you're undefeatable, I had to put that rep to the test."

"And who might you be?"

"My name is Invincible. I rather enjoy having that reputation but if they say someone out there is undefeatable, then a contest must be arranged. We can't have two indestructible ghosts."

"Well, I don't mind not knowing. I don't particularly call myself indestructible. You're beef is with someone else," I said, trying not to show how much pain I was in.

"Well I do! There's only enough room for one person who's indestructible and I've had that spot tied up for centuries. I don't take kindly for some unknown ghost to come in and steal my rep."

"What are you going to do about it," I asked, preparing for a fight.

"Kill you," Invincible called out. I've got a bad feeling about this. The ghost dove towards the earth, putting me in his sights. I went to meet him, blasting up in the air. However, the minute I touched him, I screamed out in pain. I began falling from the distraction.

"You didn't believe you could face me, did you," he asked. I forced my mind to work, catching myself before I hit the ground. "Why do you think I call myself Invincible?"

"Because you've got a big head," I called out, rocketing back up to him. I shot an energy blast at him but Invincible simply knocked it out of the way.

"It's hard not to when you can't be defeated," Invincible smirked. He held his hands in front of him in a battle stance. "So, I'll ask you again, do you know why I call myself Invincible?"

"Not a clue," I said, trying to sound cheeky. I wanted him to believe I had no worries.

"Tell me, Phantom, what do you know about Ectoranium," Invincible asked me, relaxing his stance.

"Enough," I remarked. I didn't want him to know too much about my life.

"Well, could you imagine dying surrounded by it," he asked me. Actually, I could. I just don't know why he's bringing this up. "Because many of those that cross me, do. You're getting a small dose of it now but when you die tonight you will be covered in it. The obliteration will be painful and you will pray for death long before it comes."

"I don't pray for death," I shot back. "But if you want to try, bring it!"

"Very well," Invincible shouted. I bit back the bile I felt, telling myself I can beat this guy. He was only a ten!

Of course, that's on a scale of one to eleven, Vlad and I being the only elevens.

Invincible put his hands back in the stance and a small part of me grew excited. Most ghosts didn't fight with their fists, much too accustomed to fighting with their powers. Hand to hand combat was my specialty. However, I couldn't fight off the feeling that this only made things worse.

And just like that, my greatest fears were confirmed. Invincible's hands took on a glow and they transferred into a pair of otherwise normal looking swords. The swords had this neon green glow, the material made of something other than steel. When his hands settled, I could feel my body shutting down. I couldn't figure it out. That stuff is toxic to ghosts.

"I was a miner in China before I died. We had come across this strange mineral that no one could explain. The stuff would glow on its own, much brighter than our candles and lanterns. When we tried extracting the unknown mineral, the mine began to collapse. Every one of us died in the collapse but those of us closer to the mineral were exposed to it. Some of us had its compounds transferred to us in the afterlife. I destroyed them before they rose up against me."

"Y-You're immune to the effects of Ectoranium," I asked, the situation becoming more bleak.

"And you're not," Invincible remarked, swinging his sword-arms. I brought up a shield, trying to block the lethal element. My shield burst like a bubble and the sword came into contact with my arm. I screamed as the crystal-like substance lodged itself in my arm.

My arm glowed a sickly green, ectoplasm and the Ectoranium mixing. My arm was completely useless, the toxic material seeping into my bloodstream. The mineral caused me to sway, the burning spreading through my system. Invincible swung again but I could do nothing to stop the attack. The blade came into contact with my shoulder and I screamed again. This time, I slammed to the earth, forming a crater where I landed. Invincible landed in the crater with me, slashing my leg without hesitation. The cuts were sharp and painful but he never dealt a death-blow. Finally, he sliced the sword down my chest, my heart nearly exploding.

"Nice knowing you, Phantom. Have a wonderful whatever there is after this life," Invincible said, blasting off. I stared after him, withering in complete agony. I couldn't move, just lying there frozen in the agony I felt.

XXX

I don't know how long I laid there, but I could finally move again. The needles in my mind began to disappear as the time passed. I floated out of the hole, immediately seeking the ground once I took to the air. I landed on my feet, feeling my energy drain. The rings formed around me, powering me down.

I stared at my hands in shock. I normally power down right after being injured, not after the fact. I took my eyes off of my hands to look to my arm where Invincible first slashed me. I gaped at the hole in my arm, green glass jutting out of the wound. Quickly, I lifted my shirt up to my chin, looking at my chest. Glass mixed with red blood.

I looked around me, trying to clear my thoughts. Nothing made sense. I wasn't even sure what way was up and what way was down. I lifted my uninjured leg when a sudden pain shot up the bone of the other. I screamed, landing in a heap. I couldn't figure out what to do. I needed to get home… but what way was it. I couldn't think. All I could do is feel the pain.

I gently lifted myself up and retrieved my phone. If I call Mom and Dad, they'll be so worried I probably won't be allowed out of their sights. If I call Sam and Tucker, though, I'll have to tell them some things I don't want to tell them. I looked at my screen, not knowing what to do. Finally, I looked up a number I wasn't too familiar with.

"Doctor Reynolds," I heard the groggy voice answer me.

"Hello, I'm sorry about the time. I need some help and you told me I could call any time," I replied. By the sound of her voice, it was late.

"Is this Daniel," she asked me, her voice no longer displaying the sleepiness it had earlier.

"Yeah," I answered, softly. "This is Danny."

"Where are you," Dr. Reynolds replied.

"I-I'm not quite sure. I don't know what is going off. Everything hurts and-and I don't know what you can possibly do… but…" I trialed off. The pain was so severe I didn't know what to do.

"Can you recognize anything around you," I heard her voice ask quickly, a sound of disturbance coming across the phone.

"I landed in a field. There's nothing around. It's blank," I said. I bit back as something shot through me. I grunted, trying to keep it together.

"Daniel," I heard her voice cry. "Danny, can you hear me?"

I could but I couldn't respond. Everything hurt so bad. I didn't think I was going to make it. Why me? Why must I keep getting all this rotten luck? If it isn't one thing, it's ten more. Another pain shot through me and I couldn't stop the scream. I screamed aloud, the phone dropping from my hand. I convulsed, my body shaking badly. I could barely hear Dr. Reynolds screaming my name but eventually that too vanished.

XXX

I came in and out of consciousness. At first, all that was around was nothingness, my sight completely black. But then, my sight would return just to vanish a few minutes later. My entire body felt like it was on fire. With my sight coming and going, all I could do was scream. Then, I began to notice people. The doctors and nurses from the clinic were by my side. If I saw correctly, every one of them were there. They'd vanish from my sight every once and a while, but as the time ticked on by, I could tell I was being moved. For every inch moved, I screamed a soundless scream, not having the strength to actually scream.

My hearing began to clear up later, hearing the doctors and nurses frantically trying to get me to respond. I looked up to one, her trying to hook something up to me. She inserted a needle in my arm and I screamed another soundless scream. The woman looked down to me.

"Daniel…" she asked me. Her voice popped in and out of my ears. "Squeeze… hear—." My hearing clogged up again but I clearly saw her mouth the word 'okay'.

I barely had the strength to squeeze her hand that I clearly felt it in mine. The gesture caused me to wither in more pain, shooting needles in my mind. I tried to calm myself down, tried to stop the pain but nothing seemed to work. "He's… too… morphine… cool…" Nothing made any sense anyway, so I tried to block it out. Even that was impossible to do without screaming.

XXX

I opened my eyes, hearing a soft beeping sounding beside me. I turned my head, noticing I was in one of the examination rooms. Sunlight cut through the window, shining on my face. I looked around alarmed as my memories began to clear up.

I pulled my arm into my sight, looking at the ugly gash that had formed. The glass was gone and I wasn't bleeding anymore. I pulled back the sheet, trying to look at my chest but I had a hospital gown on. I instead looked at my leg, the same appearance meeting me. I tossed the sheet aside, standing to my feet. I walked with a limp as I left the room.

I didn't know which way I was going but I knew I had to get home. Mom and Dad must have been worried sick over me. While I limped down the hall, a woman came running out of a room. "Daniel," she said, surprised. "What are you doing?"

"I've got to go," I declared, trying to find my way out of this place. "My parents… I never made it home last night… they can't know I was here…"

"Daniel, you're parents have been taken care of. You're father found us last night," she replied.

"What," I shot, fear running through me. If Mom knew I was at the clinic… I didn't want to think about it.

"He's in Doctor Reynolds's office," she replied. "He was worried about you and came looking for you. Go back to your room and we'll let him see you. If you want your clothes, we'll let you dress before we let him in. But we want to observe you. You're ghost side reacted badly to whatever that glass was."

My eyes snapped up, fearful, "My what side?"

"Yeah, you're father told us. We couldn't figure out why your heart rate was so erratic. It would beat way too fast or just too fast, then it'd beat at a normal pace, slow down, stop… It was all over the place. You're father told us that you were turned into a half ghost with that accident you told us about. He told us that your heart rate was double that of a normal human's."

"My dad doesn't know about me being half ghost," I said, completely confused. "Was Sam or Tucker here… uh, a girl in black and a boy with a red beret."

"No one else was here," she answered. "Just your father. He offered to take care of all the expenses but we told him we operate using public donations. He went out to write a very large check."

I could feel my breathing slow considerably and I asked in an aggravated tone: "What does my 'dad' look like?"

"An older man. Pure white hair, black suit. Really handsome, if I don't say so myself. I've got to say, though, that you really look nothing alike."

"That's because he's not my father," I declared angrily. "He's the man who raped me!"

I could see the shock that crossed her features. I walked away from her, ignoring her calls. I busted into the doctor's office, finding Vlad coming to his feet. "Daniel, I'm glad you are well."

"How dare you tell them you were my father," I demanded angrily.

"Well, you're welcome, Daniel. I know I didn't have to place you returning home last night in your parents minds and I know I didn't have to make them believe you left this morning but I wanted to… really."

This only made me angrier, "You messed with my parents' minds!"

"Like I had a choice, Daniel. They were losing their minds with worry before I arrived," Vlad said. I could have handled it on my own.

"I don't need your help," I screamed at him. "How dare you step in and take over like you own the damn place!"

"I own you and that's all that matters," Vlad replied coolly.

"Just leave my family alone," I shot back, anger boiling inside me. I didn't care what he did to me but the thought of him alone, with my parents, made me furious.

"What happened last night, Daniel," Vlad asked me, taking a seat again.

Images flashed in my head from last night. Some crystal clear, like before and during the fight; others were distorted and unorganized—painfully so. I shook my head, trying to cease the images before Vlad could see. "I don't want to talk about it," I replied.

"Well, just let your mind do the talking. I was seeing beautifully until you tried to shut them out. I can still see most of the fight, but with less detail now."

"Get the hell out of my mind," I shot angrily. I pulled a chair to me, taking the strain off my aching leg. I hadn't felt pain last this long since the accident. It's certainly been more than three hours since the attack.

"Yes, well, that is what Ectoranium will do to a ghost. You're just lucky that you're half human as well."

"I told you to get the hell out," I shot back, trying anything to throw him off. I was moody and in pain… I didn't have the strength to play his nice little bitch.

"I know," Vlad commented, despite my wishes. "That's why I'm not going to punish you." A thought crossed my mind, "Don't push your luck. Just because I'm letting this slide doesn't mean I'll let something you say in complete control go unnoticed."

"Just, please, leave me alone," I said, my voice small. I was in so much pain. I didn't feel like doing anything. "Is the heat on in here," I asked after a moment.

"Not as high as it is in your room," Vlad commented. "They had to chill your body down last night so they put you on an IV to keep you from going into hypothermia. The morphine was burning up too quickly because of your high temperature. You were in too much pain."

"So they put me in hypothermia," I asked in surprise.

"Sort of," Vlad replied. "The fluids kept you stable but it was their only choice. With the Ectoranium in your system, your body was reacting to every injury as if you were still human. You had a long gash in your arm, a severed leg and a deep cut across your chest. You're injuries were life threatening, Daniel."

"I know there were many instances I felt like I died last night," I spoke softly. "Did your business meeting close up already," I asked, changing the topic.

"Yeah," Vlad answered slowly. "I came to your house yesterday to bring you with me but you weren't there. I heard your parents thoughts and went looking for you. For some reason, I couldn't transport to you. I guess it was because of the Ectoranium. It was causing your ectoplasm to retreat from your body."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there last night," I commented. I didn't really feel that way because despite the fact he didn't have any fun, I still went through hell last night. I really wonder which one would be worse. Probably the one I received, considering the fact I still feel the effects of last night's attack.

"Undoubtedly," Vlad commented. "But, yes, I too am sorry. I won't be able to see you tonight. I had a small window to see you last night and I should be on a plane to meet with the insurance company but I wanted to make sure you were okay before I left. With the ability to transport, the chore of getting there becomes less stressful."

"So you won't be… I mean I'm not…" I tried, but I couldn't get out the words correctly. I won't be fucked by Vlad again tonight!

"Afraid not. I have to meet with my homeowners insurance and the gas company. For some reason, my will to make them pay out didn't stick. I will have to be there in person to force this upon them. I can't very well have the explosion be classified as a failed experiment or negligence. I may be rich but why else would I have an insurance policy except for in cases such as this."

"Eat your heart out," I said, the ability to wipe the grin from my face absent. It won't be proven until I've eaten a bowl before I see Vlad but it's starting to look like Froot Loops are good luck.

"You honestly believe eating a cereal will help determine if I will be here or not," Vlad asked me, absurdity in his voice.

"Hey," I shot back, "It's crazy I know but I can't explain it any other way. I ate Froot Loops the morning you had to go to the meeting and then again on the day after. I didn't eat them yesterday because I helped Mom cook and I probably would have eaten them today! The jury is still out… but it's looking pretty convincing."

"You are truly helpless, child," Vlad remarked, a smirk on his lips. "Well, I hate to go but I must be going."

"Well, I'm glad you're going and can wait until you return," I remarked.

Vlad stood up, bending over to look me in the eye. I thought he was going to tell me something he wanted me to remember but instead met my lips with his own. I stood there, unmoving, until he pulled away. "Goodbye, Daniel."

Vlad teleported out. "Good riddance."

XXX

I entered back into the examination room that I awoke in, the heat greeting me. Instantly, I felt so much better. Outside had been so cold, something I am clearly not accustomed to. I rummaged through the room, trying to find my belongings. Nothing of mine was in that room. I laid back down in the bed, feeling really tired.

A noise brought me to reality, snapping me awake. I hadn't even realized I had fallen asleep but I saw Dr. Reynolds enter into the room. "Good morning, Daniel. How are you feeling?"

Dr. Reynolds was a young woman, maybe in her mid-thirties. She wore her medium brunette hair in a clip and she usually had a pen sticking out of it. I saw her last time I was here but I didn't learn her name until the end of the session. She had a medical coat on but it was very relaxed. She had on a pair of blue jeans and a dark gray shirt under the coat. On top of her head was a pair of reading glasses. She hardly wore them but when she needed to glance at a chart, they came off her head.

"Better, thanks to you," I replied. My eyes met hers. "I can't begin to thank you enough. I-I'm certain I would have died if you hadn't found me."

"Well, I'm not," Dr. Reynolds responded. "You're ghost side did react badly to that glass but your body was protecting itself. Last night, you hadn't an ounce of ectoplasm in you. Today, one-seventh of your blood is."

"One-seventh," I asked, confused. "But I'm one half."

"I don't know. I know nothing about this but I know that a small percentage of your blood is actually ectoplasm. I don't know a lot about your situation, Daniel, but I do understand that you are in trouble. Whatever that ghost put in your system, it was solely responsible for every ounce of pain you went through last night. You would have survived had we not found you, but I have no doubt in my mind that you would still be lying out there in that field."

"Where was I? How did you find me," I asked her, curious.

"Well, after our call disconnected last night I called up the entire staff. We narrowed all the places you could be by your description and we searched the areas. Caitlin found you in a logged out area in Dawson. You were in serious pain and unresponsive."

"I can't thank you enough," I replied again. I couldn't imagine what would have happened if she had given up and not come looking for me.

"There's no reason to thank me, Daniel. I just want one thing from you," she replied. I looked at her, expecting her to say money, "Can you fill us in after the clinic closes tonight. You don't have to stay if you don't want to… and it doesn't have to be tonight but everyone is wondering what is up with you."

I mulled over the consequences, my instincts screaming at me to refuse but a small voice in my head told me that without the staff, I wouldn't be here—regardless of what the doctor believed. My ghost half may have protected me from the Ectoranium but the injuries themselves would have been fatal to my human side. I owed my very life to these people. The least I could do was help clear some confusion.

"Sure," I replied, instantly being crushed by the fear my answer brought. I took a shaky breath, trying to compose myself. I didn't know what or how much I'd tell them but that is certainly something I needed to consider. "Hey, Doc, do you think I could have my belongings. I-I don't exactly feel comfortable being," I trailed off, looking down at my torso. "You know."

"Of course," Dr. Reynolds's replied, a smile on her lips. "Of course, there isn't a person on our staff that hasn't seen you… you know." I felt my cheeks burn, Dr. Reynolds's smile intensifying. "We did have to patch you up last night."

"Thank you," I said, my cheeks still burning. I knew she was just joking with me. She had seen me naked, I have no doubt there, but I'm sure she's only pretending to be unprofessional. She's been nothing but professional with me since I met her.

Dr. Reynolds's nodded at me, her smile still expressive but it not quite reaching her eyes. I don't know if she was just confused or if she was worried but I knew that she had something on her mind that tried to smother her joy.

XXX

After the Doc returned my belongings and dismissed herself, I took off the gown and dressed in my underwear and pants. I stood in front of a small mirror in the room with my chest bare, looking at the gash. It had been so long since I've had a battle scar. The wound was clear of the green glass that it sported last night but it still was irritated. My eyes traced over my upper chest when I noticed something incredibly strange. Blue lines were running from my nipples to my sternum. I stepped closer to the mirror, trying to see if what I saw was indeed what I was seeing. What the hell, I thought. I couldn't tell what they were but they were strange. I shook my head, slipping my shirt over my head and pulled it down to rest baggily over my stomach.

I picked up my cell phone from the bucket they had placed my belongings in and called Sam. If Vlad took care of them or not I hadn't a clue but I needed to make sure they didn't worry. I listened to the soft sending tone until I heard Sam's voice greet me over the line.

"Hey, Sam," I replied.

"Danny," Sam asked me, a little confused. "Where are you? Mr. and Mrs. Fenton told us that you left early this morning. Are you ghost hunting?"

I was silent for a while as I went over my options, "I had something I had to take care of. I'm okay… I just wanted you to know what was going off so you wouldn't be worried."

"I was worried as soon as Mr. and Mrs. Fenton said that you left," Sam's voice retorted. "I don't understand it. How did you get them to agree to that?"

"What do you mean," I tried to sound innocent. "I just said I was going out. Mom and Dad aren't holding me hostage or anything."

"True, but with your behavior since Christmas, Mrs. Fenton has been cautious."

"I just told them I was heading out. No big deal," I stated softly.

"Plasmius isn't around, is he," Sam's voice grew serious.

"No," I shot back, "Why?"

"No reason, really," Sam said, sighing. "I'm just worried about you with what you said yesterday. I'd hate to learn he's hurting you."

"Don't worry about that," I replied. A twinge of guilt entered my stomach but I pushed it aside. "I don't know if I'll be able to hang out today. If I get a break, I'll come and see you. If not, I'll definitely see you guys tomorrow at school."

"Okay," Sam said, her voice soft. Suddenly, it shot full of energy, "Tucker's here with me. I'll let him know what's going on so you don't need to call him."

"Okay," I said, grateful. "Tell him everything I told you and I'll hopefully see you guys later."

We said our goodbyes, I disconnecting first. I sat back down on the bed, my leg aching. Now, what to tell these people.

I stayed inside the room, mulling over what I could say and what I could do. The only disturbance was the occasional nurse coming in to check on me or dress my wounds. As the time ticked by, I started to grow a thick mucus in my throat, the object seemingly choking me. I wanted desperately not to say anything but I knew I owed these people too much. If I wish to expect similar results next time, I need to show the commitment to them that they showed to me.

Eventually, Dr. Reynolds's came into the room and said they were ready. I forced myself to breathe, following her into their conference room. A number of people were in the room, most of the occupants female. An occasional male stood out in the room but most of these people were mothers. It took a special kind of person to work at this clinic. They knew if they didn't do this, most of the kids they treat wouldn't get anything.

Dr. Reynolds took a seat and I stood at the front of the room, taking the floor. I leaned most of my weight on my good leg but forced my back to go straight. I had to get into character. I wasn't Danny Fenton, the wimpy dweeb, I wasn't Danny Phantom, the enigmatic ghost, I wasn't Danny, the boy who relied on his friends and led Team Phantom… I was Radar, the head of the ghost hunters' camp; the third in command of Division G in the country; the right hand to Samuels.

"Five months ago, I was involved in a major accident. The device was a rare machine that could open a doorway between Earth and the Ghost Zone. It was comprised of ectoplasm and high volts of electricity. While viewing the device, my foot became tangled in the wires and when I went to move, I fell inside. While falling, my hand bumped against the on switch and the machine came alive with me inside it…

"The-the pain was unbearable. While inside this machine, I was conscious. I could see my friends and I was semi-aware of my surroundings. I would feel my heart come to a stand-still and I would stop breathing from time to time. However, the most pain I felt was in my two friends' eyes. I watched them sit there, not five feet from where I was, helpless to stop what was happening to me. I declared right there I would not die in that portal. I would not allow my friends to watch me die.

"So I began to fight. Every inch of my body would become so difficult to move but I kept trying anyway. I'd achieve a small victory to fall to a dozen more. There is a lot of the accident that is a mystery to me. There are a few pieces of the puzzle that I'm missing but after five minutes of being electrocuted, I was thrown from the portal.

"When I awoke, my eyesight was restricted. My side vision was blank and my direct sight was blurry. My hearing was gone at first but it was the first to return. I noticed that someone was crying beside me and when I had the sense to see who it was, it was my friend, Sam. I wasn't breathing and I had no pulse so they believed I was dead. Tucker had went to call my parents so I couldn't see him.

"When I spoke to Sam, she didn't recognize me. That may not alarm you, but to understand our friendship is to know we know everything there is to know about each other. Sam would definitely know my voice. As I began to come around, I kept noticing a fear in their eyes.

"Then I saw it. Tucker wears glasses and from the surface I saw my refection. I ran to the mirror in the basement and my black hair had turned white and my blue eyes were then green. I had walked in the portal with a white HAZMAT suit," I continued, my breathing becoming more strained. "In that mirror, I wore a black suit. Everything had reversed polar." I chuckled, not really humorous but to try to ease the tension. "I fainted.

"I was a ghost. I nearly had a heart attack it terrified me so much. But when I woke up again, my appearance was back to normal."

The doctor's and nurse's eyes all displayed confusion.

"I hope this doesn't freak you out," I said softly, remaining on my toes. If this went badly, I knew I was screwed. I triggered the rings, the white light flashing over my body super-fast. Starting at my mid-waist, the ring split in two, changing my shirt and jeans into a one-piece HAZMAT suit. My eyes changed color with the transformation, my hair following suit.

I heard everyone's gasps and many had to steady themselves as realization dawned on them.

Dr. Reynolds's gasped loudly, "Invisobill!"

I winced, "Danny Phantom, please. That's just a stupid alias I've picked up because Paulina heard Sam telling me to turn invisible," I commented, trying not to get caught up in my terror. "Go invisible," I quoted Sam on the phrase that started it all.

"But… aren't you supposed to be evil?"

And here it begins. "Yes, I am supposed to be evil but am I… I don't know. I'd like to say I'm not. I don't mean to do damage but… well, you get thrown into a building and see if something don't break! The whole situation through Christmas… well, that was a plot from a ghost wanting revenge on me. I created a jailbreak and he wanted me to pay for escaping and taking all his prisoners with him. He lined all his ducks in a row and mine were left scattering, desperately trying to organize themselves."

"So… you are really trying to help," another nurse asked me.

"Well, yeah," I spoke softly. "That's all I've ever wanted to do. When… when I first got these powers… I was scared. I wanted to be rid of them but they never… they never left. So when I decided to stop running from it and accept it, I decided I wouldn't waste these abilities. The ghosts started escaping the Ghost Zone and I wanted to protect those I loved. That was just four months ago. I couldn't keep it for more than three months."

"You mean to tell us that ghosts have been around for four months?"

"Yeah," I replied quietly. "I imagine I would have continued to keep it quiet if Walker hadn't led that attack." I placed my hand behind my neck, "He really thought things through."

"He didn't think of everything," Dr. Reynolds's smiled, my first real sign of acceptance. "You're still kicking and screaming."

I finally allowed my eyes to grace their appearances. The shock was still present in their features but most had acceptance present. I smiled back. If only telling my parents could be so easy… and painless.

And just on cue, I winced. Okay, almost painless!

XXX

Dr. Reynolds's dropped me off a few blocks from my house. She offered to take me home but I didn't really want her to know my address. The clinic didn't know my last name or my address and that's the way I wanted it. If Mom ever discovered I'd gone to the free clinic, she'd dissect me without knowing I'm Danny Phantom. Mom made it clear to us kids about how evil that place was. She actually came close to shutting it down had Mom Number Two not intervened. Mom turned her eye to the illegal practice but warned us if we ever set foot there, only then would we know true pain. Knowing Mom, I'm not looking to test her.

I wrapped my arms tightly around my waist, hurrying home in the cold, breezy nighttime. I shivered uncontrollably as I ran with all my might towards my house. I thought about turning but thought against it. Not even going ghost would immune me from the cold. I finally reached my steps, throwing the door open and slamming it behind me. I shivered, desperately seeking heat. I walked into the kitchen, hoping to find a pot of coffee.

At the table, my family sat eating dinner. I slowed down, not expecting to find my parents and my sister at the same setting. I ignored their sudden attention, walking in big strides to the coffee pot. Luckily, one last cup sat in the decanter. "Oh, thank you," I said in a low voice, grabbing the pot and walking over to the cabinet to retrieve a mug. I poured the steaming liquid into the cup.

"Hey, sweetie," my mom greeted me. "Did you get what you needed done?"

"Yeah," I spoke softly, returning the decanter. I put the cup to my lips immediately, denying my throat the relief it cried for. After I felt my throat cry it protest to the near point of dissolving, I retracted the mug. "Man, it's cold out tonight!"

Jazz looked up from her dinner, "It feels pretty normal to me."

I shivered, "Well, it's pure torture to me." I let out a loud detest of the weather.

"Well, there's some leftovers on the stove if you want to eat," Mom replied. I wasn't really hungry but curiosity got the best of me. If I was feeling again, did that mean I could taste?

I retrieved a plate from the same cabinet from earlier and began to pile Mom's cooking on the glass surface. The green color of the plate with white stencil markings stared up at me as I added the small proportions. After loading my plate, I sat down in my usual spot. I picked up a fork tentatively, fearful of what might meet my palate. Upon the metal hitting my tongue, I felt tears pricking my eyes. The burning sensation filled my nose, even something as simple as silverware causing the discomfort.

I closed my eyes, the flavors swelling on my tongue. I savored every bite, knowing moments like this would vanish as soon as the Ectoranium cleared from my bloodstream. Once I devoured the last bite, my ears finally picked up my parents' and sister's worried voices. I looked up, finally giving them the attention they cried for.

"Are you all right, honey," Mom asked me, a look of concern marred on her face.

"Yeah," I said, my voice breaking. I reached my hand to my eyes, wiping away the tears I hadn't realized I was spilling. "I'm fine."

"Sweetheart, you can tell us what's on your mind," Mom continued, not accepting my half-baked reply.

"It's stupid," I remarked, trying to ease their concerns. "I'll be over it in a little while."

"Danny," Jazz said, getting, what I call, dressed in her therapist suit, "you could either suffer through this alone or you could speak your mind, releasing your fears and anguish."

"I'm not anguishing anything," I retorted back, "I'm just crying over something completely stupid."

"It's not stupid if it's important to you," Mom remarked.

I groaned, "But it's not. I swear, I'm just a little emotional. It's probably the cold or something."

Now Dad spoke up, "Danny."

"I just missed Mom's cooking, okay," I shot back. I didn't know if they'd accept the answer for what it was or they'd probe. I hoped they wouldn't do the latter.

A look of disbelief crossed Mom's face, "You missed my cooking? It's not like you don't have it every night."

"I told you," I replied, pretending to be ashamed. "It was stupid. I don't know why I started crying. I was just thinking about how good it was."

Mom laughed out loud while Dad smiled broadly but Jazz's expression held one of confusion. I hoped she wouldn't ask the question that was surly burning up her mind.

XXX

I pulled my cell phone as I exited the kitchen, dialing Sam's number. I shivered again, another reminder that going out tonight was a bad idea. After a moment, Sam's voice came across in a question.

"Are you home?"

"Yeah," I replied. "You guys can come over if you want to."

"Okay," Sam remarked. "I'll get a hold of Tucker and we'll be over right away. If we hurry, we can hit the streets tonight."

I shivered again, "Actually, I've been debating about that."

"There's another option," Sam remarked, her voice displaying the disbelief she felt with a chuckle.

"I'll explain it to you two when you get here. See you in a bit," I said.

"Okay, talk to you in a minute," Sam said, disconnecting the line.

I shut my door as I closed my phone. I tucked my phone back in my pocket, wrapping both hands around my waist. It was freezing in here! I tried to stave off the cold feeling, but it eventually got the best of me and I retreated to my closet. I pulled out one of the seldom-used sweaters.

I grimaced, not really wanting to put on the tell-tell sign of something's wrong with me. The only time I put on a sweater is when it's between the degrees of 40 and sixty. That's when the water begins to evaporate off my skin and appear in obvious puffs of steam. Everybody has that evaporated water on their skin, except in my case it comes off me when it's cold but not freezing. Normal people have water evaporate from their skin too, but theirs comes off when they have hot water on their body.

I slipped the sweater over my head and took a relaxed seat on my bed. I didn't have to wait long before Sam, followed by Tucker, came through my door. Tucker was the only one to greet me as he took a seat on my computer chair while Sam sat down wordlessly on the chest against the wall.

"Like I was saying to Sam," I started the inevitable conversation. "I was thinking about maybe taking the evening off tonight and just waiting for my ghost sense to tell me there's a ghost in the neighborhood."

"But Danny," Sam objected, "the ghosts attack more places than this neighborhood! What about the rest of the town?"

I groaned, knowing there was only one way out of this. "I've been more normal than normal today."

"And what is so much more normal today than it was yesterday," Tucker snickered.

Here goes everything, "I can feel the cold," I commented quietly. The two of them snapped their heads up quickly, "smell is muted but I have all my senses back."

"You mean normal-normal," Tucker asked, flabbergasted.

"Yeah," I commented quietly.

Before I could continue, Sam cut in, "Why? Did anything happen to you today that would explain this?"

As long as she made it a specific time, I could avoid it, "No. I just woke up this morning and I was cold."

"Aren't you the least bit curious as to why," Sam asked me.

"Sure," I replied. "But I'd like to enjoy this while it lasts. I don't know how long it will run its course but I don't want to jinx it. I can actually feel again and I know soon I won't be able to feel anything." At the questions in their eyes, I incorrectly amended: "You know, smell, taste, feel temperatures… everything!"

This seemed to do the trick, "But Danny, we have no idea what's causing this abnormality. We should determine the cause. It may come with a big price tag attached."

"I know, but come on guys… it feels so good to be able to taste and feel the cold. I actually ate Mom's chicken casserole, the flavors lasting on my tongue. Please, just let me enjoy this one time. I don't want to maybe do something wrong and cause it to end earlier than normal."

"All right," Tucker ended our small group conversation, "There's probably nothing wrong with just this once. But we'll be watching for any chance of a pattern."

"I know you will," I smiled back at them. "By the way, guys, I'm so sorry for dragging you guys out in weather like this every day. If I'd known it'd be this cold… I'd let you guys stay home. But you guys went anyway, never complaining… I'm so sorry," I began.

Sam cut me off, "Stop, stop, stop. Danny, we will always be by your side. It's not really that cold out. Tucker and I dress appropriately when it is. It's just because you haven't felt cold in so long. It's like someone visiting from the Bahamas. It's actually pretty mild out today."

I stared at her in shock, "You mean to tell me it's warmer today than normal?"

"Yeah," Sam commented. "After Christmas was one of the coldest days I can think of. It's just because you haven't felt cold in a long time."

I allowed what she said to sink in, relaxing in the silence. Tucker started to roll the chair forwards and backwards, evidence of his boredom. Sam displayed less obvious signs of being bored but I could detect them. She sat there, a small smile on her lips, with one leg propped up on the chest. It was subtle, but I could detect the small kick her muscles would send out, indicating her jitters.

I looked at my display clock, the red letters displaying just after seven-thirty. "Hey," I broke the silence, "Did you guys get your homework done?"

"Yeah," Tucker began but Sam stopped him abruptly.

"Actually," Sam cut in, "There is one thing I forgot to help Tucker with. Remember, our project in Art."

I knitted my eyebrows together. With Sam's sudden outburst and Tucker so easily admitting they had in fact finished their homework, I was suspicious. Tucker began to stutter over his words, 'admitting' that there was in fact something that they hadn't done.

"Hey guys, I may have been turned half ghost at night, but it wasn't last night! What's going on," I demanded.

"What are you talking about," Sam smiled that innocent smile. Now there are red flashing warning lights going off in my head.

"You guys aren't going on patrol without me," I said, crossing my arms across my chest.

"Patrol," Sam said, that smile still displayed on her lips. "Who said anything about patrol?"

That smile appeared genuine. Did you miss something, Fenton?

"You guys really have something else to do besides patrolling," I asked, confused.

"Yes," Tucker declared. I looked in his eyes, searching for the big 'I'm lying' that is usually displayed there. It wasn't.

"Okay," I said, slowly. "I'm sorry I doubted you. I'm just worried, that's all."

"Don't worry," Sam remarked. "No hard feelings. I guess I would have been suspicious as well had I seen what you seen. Tucker just forgot about the project we had to do."

I chuckled, realizing how far I had blown it out of the water, "And with it being art, I just thought it was a key word or something!"

Tucker chuckled, forcefully, "Right! Cause that's… that's."

I looked up, ready to fire a bunch of questions when Sam slipped her hand over Tuck's mouth. "Gotta go! Bye!"

Sam pulled him out of my room, closing the door. I stared at the closed door, trying to figure out what I was missing. Something's up. It's not patrolling… Tucker cleared the air there. But the key word? Maybe they do have a key word for something… is that what I got too close to?

Project in Art? I thought for a moment, trying to determine what it could symbolize. Is art the key word? Is project? Is it because it's a class I don't have with them, one they actually have together? I racked my brain, trying to decipher their code. Is it something they're doing today or some other code that Tucker mistaken it for? Do they really have something to do today?

Sam was doing what Sam does best: throwing me off. She got close to the truth, keeping it as simple as possible. Something that could be open for interpretation. Tucker has always been the one who couldn't lie to save his life. I had to teach him how to lie so he wouldn't bust my secret on the first confrontation from Mom and Dad. I'm certain 'Art Project' is a code for something, but is it relevant for what they're up to now. Should I be worried or should I keep this in the back of my mind for a latter use?

Something else to do besides patrolling. I really left that sentence wide open. That's how Sam had snuck in. I left a gaping hole in the situation and she capitalized on it. Now I really wish I hadn't been so vague. What else could they do without me besides patrolling?

Oh. Oh, no! '_And as soon as we catch you with your back turned, we'll really be in this together_.' No, no, no.

I jumped off my bed, running out my door and dashing down the steps. I stumbled several times because of how fast I was running but I didn't care. I couldn't… they couldn't.

I ran into the kitchen, setting my sights on the lab door. It was closed.

"Whoa," I heard a voice cut above my erratic heartbeat. "Slow down. I tolerated that from Sam and Tucker but easy greasy."

I looked up at the sound, my heart nearly coming to a standstill. "Sam and Tucker came running through here?"

"Yeah, about two minutes ago. They were going so fast that I couldn't even yell at them," Mom replied. My heart came to life with a fury, the beat going loudly in my ears.

'_Every attempt you make at disrupting the timeline fails_.' I reached out to the doorknob, attempting to open it. It was locked.

"No," I cried. "No. No. No! Sam! Tucker!"

"Danny," Mom cried, horrified. "What's wrong!"

I couldn't answer her. '_Every single timeline says they become half ghost_.' I began to shake, twisting frantically at the knob.

"Damn it, open! No!"

I left the kitchen, running out the back door. I took the curve so hard I slid, landing on the ground. I pulled myself to my feet, running as fast as I could to the side wall. I tried phasing through the wall but I was thrown back with a shock. '_They will become half ghost, it's their destinies_.' No, damn it! I will not sacrifice their lives! Their futures. This can't be happening!

AN: I bet you really hate me about now. As posted on my profile page, I have created a forum page for Bitter UNIONS. All previous chapter companions are posted. I will keep the tradition of three chapter companions on my profile page but I have updated my introduction. Please check out my profile page and my forum page. PM, review or post any questions.

**fan fiction dot net slash my forums slash Team 04 Phantom slash 3876657**

Team04Phantom


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: Danny Phantom belongs to Butch Hartman and Nickelodeon. I am making no profits on this plot.**

**AN: This story contains rape and male sex.**

**Chapter 11: Friendship**

I opened a blast on the wall but it just glowed, my parents' invention absorbing the attack and protecting against it. "No!"

I can't go through the portal. Vlad's is destroyed and there isn't any more out there. The lab has no locks… Sam and Tucker have just secured it. I ran back in, frantically trying to reach the ops center before it was too late.

"Danny," my mom's voice cried above my heartbeat. "How did they lock that door?"

"I've got to stop them," I cried out, not paying any attention to her. I darted up the steps, running as fast as I could. The shoots crossed my mind but I had already put so much effort into running. All I had to do was reach the top. But what if it's too late? They've had plenty of time to get dressed and push that damn button. If it's already began… I couldn't cease it.

I phased through the door, hitting myself for not flying to the top to begin with. I reached the cameras, turning it to the lab immediately. This same angle had caught my accident… it would show me if they were being electrocuted. Sam and Tucker came into focus, inside the closed down portal. Sam and Tucker were dressed in their pure white outfits, holding hands as they prepared to take that plunge together.

Now's my chance! I ran over to the control panel, ripping out chords and wires. I didn't care… I'd have to wait for authorization if I went about the normal way to shut it down. If the power beings to shut down after they push that button, they'd be killed. My only choice was to stop the power from reaching the portal. Lights started faltering, the shocks every once and a while greeting me. With my sensors in full force, I felt each jolt but I ignored my pain. The pain Sam and Tucker were about to inflict on themselves would be ten times more powerful… hell, ten thousand times more powerful. The lights on the camera burned out, eventually taking the picture with it.

I sank to my knees, knowing how close I came. I sat there until I heard my mom's angry voice: "Daniel James Fenton, what do you think you were doing?"

I came to my feet, "I'll repair everything. I didn't have a choice."

"Danny, what was going on," Mom demanded angrily. Dad was breathing heavily like he always does when forced to the ops center.

"I just saved Sam and Tucker's lives," I commented quietly, walking out of the room. Now, to have a stern talking to them.

XXX

"How dare you," Sam shot back at me, anger burning all over her features. Tucker was angry too, but Sam shook from her fury. We three stood in my room, the darkness surrounding us. "We were so close!"

"Too damn close," I shot back. "How many times do I have to tell you two you are not becoming half ghost like me?"

"We're not looking for your approval," Tucker shot back. "This is our choice! We can do as we damn well please!"

"I'm not going to let you ruin your lives," I shot back, glaring at Tucker now. "You guys see this as a game! You guys don't know half of the hell it creates walking this damn line!"

"Then tell us," Sam said, her tone softer.

"No," I turned on her. "I will not hurt you if I can and that includes allowing you to turn half ghost. You may think that it's none of my business but if I could, I'd stop myself. I didn't have anyone there to tell me what a mistake it was. No one was there to stop me from making the biggest mistake of my life. I didn't know that when I woke up that morning, my life would forever change at 5:47 pm. Heaven only knows how I pray that someone could have been there!"

"Danny," Tucker replied, now his voice going soft, "We can't change the past, that's true, but we can make the future better."

"And you believe becoming half ghost will make the future better," I asked, incredulous. "Do you know what it's like inside that portal? Do you know how it feels to sit there, screaming for five minutes, watching your best friends sit there and be powerless to stop it? Hell, the pain wasn't as painful as the look on you two's faces. And after the fact, waking up beside Sam and watching you two go about like I was dead. Then the hell of keeping it secret! Constantly struggling with your powers! What would the Manson's do to you if you suddenly disappeared from their sights or was so translucent that they can see right through you?"

"Danny, let us worry about that," Sam said softly.

I held onto my anger, trying to get them to see the mistake they just barely made: "I can't! I can't see you guys screwing up your futures' the way mine is screwed up. I can't watch you guys go through the hell I'm going through. I can't!" Suddenly the anger turned into tears and I sunk to my knees. "I-I couldn't forgive myself.

"I have no future… but you two… you have your whole lives ahead of you. A-and I shouldn't be dragging you two down in the mud with me but I do and now you guys are so determined to walk this line with me… and when you find out that it's not as glamorous as you once thought… you'd hate me. It's all selfish. Everything I do anymore is all about me… and I don't deserve you guys!"

"Danny," Sam sank to her knees, taking my head into her hands. "Hey, that is not true. You are the most unselfish person I've ever met. You protect the town even though they vilify you. You put others needs ahead of your own. You take your parents punishments and the detentions even though you are doing something bigger than their small minds can comprehend. Danny, you are not selfish."

"I don't want to lose you guys. I'm so terrified one day you'll wake up and realize that you are wasting your time on me. You'll realize I'm just a half-dead freak who is destroying your lives and you'll leave me. I can't take that," I said, feeling shameful. How could I demand so much of them?

"Dude," Tucker came down to my side. He wrapped one arm around my shoulder, "You couldn't get rid of us if you tried. Do you remember after the accident and you started to push us away?"

"But that was so long ago," I shook. "How much longer can you guys pretend that this isn't disrupting your lives? How much longer will it be before you realize that I'm not worth it?"

"It'll be an eternity before then," Tucker said, pulling me into a hug. I took the embrace, holding onto the boy who was my brother. I needed them. I needed them much more than they needed me and one day, they will realize that.

I felt Sam wrap around me, holding me as well. "We'll always be together. We'll never turn our backs on each other. Danny, you're just going to have to accept that our destinies include being together. The minute we met, we were destined to go through this life together. When you had that accident, Danny, you included us. And there's nothing you can do to change that fact."

"I know," I whispered softly. "Both Grandpa and I have had the dreams. Nothing Grandpa does changes the outcomes… you both become half ghost." Their faces lit up, the happiness making them practically glow. "But there's something you need to know. I had a dream about two months ago that I haven't told you about."

"I imagine there are many dreams you haven't told us about," Tucker replied with a grimace.

"There's really no point to tell you all of them," I remarked, "But I should have told you about this one. This one directly involves you."

"What was it," Sam asked me.

"Well, there's this pale man. He has a big nose and he carries a red staff. The staff controls ghosts and I go under his spell. I start to act up in town, robbing places and the such. You two are the ones fighting this man because I'm his puppet. He created so much damage with just one half ghost… what could he do with three? And then there's the fact that you two are the ones who save me. If you're half ghosts, who will save us?"

The color drained from their faces as they realized the severity. "Oh, man," Tucker was the first to break the silence. "So, after this attack… we turn half ghost?"

"Yeah," I said slowly, "I don't know how. All I know is I get a phone call one morning and Tucker is jumping for joy, saying he's finally converted. Apparently, it was a long process."

"Long process," Sam asked me. "And what about me? Did I turn half ghost?"

"Yeah," I said, a small blush coming to my cheeks. I purposely left out the fact that I woke up to Sam screaming in the bathroom, my wife opening her eyes to white hair and orange eyes. She had been trying to remove her costume that she and Tucker wore to bed every night for some reason but had failed, finally looking into the mirror. "It had taken… five years."

"Five years," both Sam and Tucker screamed.

"That's what you two were yapping about," I said, wincing at how my head hurt now. "It had taken you five years to finally convert but you guys got some powers over the years."

"That's too long," Tucker complained. "Five minutes and we could be flying on our own."

"After the big nosed man with the staff," Sam cut in.

"Right. After that," Tucker commented.

I smiled softly, "I guess. At least wait until after then before you try it again. I don't want the world to be doomed."

Sam and Tucker came to their feet, giving me room to stand up. I followed their suits, walking to the door. "I'd better go fix that breaker box. Mom and Dad will kill me if I don't get it done soon."

"You want any help," Tucker asked me.

I smiled, "I always want you two around."

"Good," Sam smiled back, "Because we're not going anywhere."

XXX

Sam, Tuck and I entered into the ops center, laughing together. Mom sat at the console, her arms crossed over her chest. Our laughing ceased normally, not finding her posture threatening in the least. Tucker walked over to the breaker, examining it. "Shouldn't be too hard to rewire it. It'll just take time."

"Your father and I could rewire it ourselves but I demand to know why you ripped the breaker box to shreds, Daniel," Mom demanded.

"It's nothing, Mrs. Fenton," Sam commented. "Danny just panicked and done the only thing he knew to do."

"Don't think I'm just scolding Danny," Mom turned to Sam. "You two locked my lab door! There are no locks on that door! You purposely tried to keep us out!"

"No," Tucker replied coolly, "We tried to keep Danny out."

"And it worked," I shot back. "That hurt by the way!"

"Sorry," Sam smiled sheepishly towards me. "I didn't know how else to keep you from getting in that way!"

"Impressive," I replied, "But not cool!"

"I want to know what is going on," Mom declared.

"Sorry, Mom," Tucker remarked, shrugging his shoulders. "It's between us three."

"Not when it involves the lab," Dad shot. I hadn't even noticed Dad sitting against the wall. "You kids could have been hurt. What would have happened if you two got hurt and no one could have entered into the lab?"

"Don't worry about it," Sam remarked. "Now, I'll grab the tools, Tucker, you grab the circuits and Danny, you grab the wires."

"Do not think that you two can get away with this," Mom demanded angrily.

"Oh, we already have," Sam commented smugly.

"No you haven't," I shot back. "I still stopped you."

"Yeah," Sam said, looking a little dejected, "But eventually one day you won't."

I looked away, "Don't remind me."

"What is going on," Mom came to her feet. Her eyes were flashing with the pent up anger.

"Not your concern," Tucker replied, walking off to grab the circuits. I chuckled, grabbing the wires.

"Daniel," Mom scolded me.

"How long," I asked, ending my laughter normally.

"How long what," Mom asked me, confusion crossing her face.

"Grounding. How long," I asked, grabbing the wires for the job.

"You are too used to this punishment," Mom sighed. "You're not grounded. I give up on grounding you!"

"Really," I asked, surprised. "It'd help a whole lot."

"Do not think that just because we're not grounding you anymore that you can just go about disobeying," Dad spoke up. "Chores and curfew are still required."

"I know," I replied, walking over to the breaker. "I'll try to improve but a lot of what happens is out of my control."

"Soon, we'll be able to help you," Tucker smiled up, daydreaming.

"Just remember, I said not until after that incident," I reminded him.

"What incident," Mom asked.

We all three groaned, "It doesn't concern you!" We burst out laughing.

"You three need to realize we are the parents and you are the children," Mom said sternly.

Sam ceased her laughing, ending ours with her sudden change. "We got that perfectly," Sam remarked back, "It's you two who don't know your places."

My eyes widened. Town butt head! Town butt head! "S-Sam, let's not get hasty. Come on, let's just get this done!"

"She may be from another town but we're in Amity and around here children make the rules," Sam shot back.

Tucker was next to react, "Okay, Sam, I get that better than Danny but you know how Mom is. She won't shy to turn us over her knee!"

"You're darn right I won't," Mom shot back. "I understand perfectly the backward ways of this town but in my house, the parents run the household and the children listen and do as they're told! Samantha, I know your parents are a bunch of low lives but that does not give you the right to mouth off to me!"

"Samantha," Sam shot off, her purple eyes blazing. I grabbed Sam by the waist, pulling her away from charging at Mom.

"That's what Mom does when her children mouth off. That's why Jazz and I have full names but go by our nicknames. So when we're in trouble, she can make the point easily!"

"No one calls me Samantha," Sam declared angrily.

"When you go running your mouth off, I will call you what I want. You may not be my child, Sam, but I have raised you since you were eight! For all intents and purposes, we are your parents," Mom replied back.

"I get that. And you know I respect you a lot," Sam said, much calmer. I let go of her waist now that she was herself again. "But there are things that we are involved in that doesn't concern you. I'm sorry I shot my mouth off. I do respect you, but it was a conversation between us and no one else."

"You forgot who you were talking to, didn't you," Dad looked amused.

"Not really," Sam spoke softly. "If I thought I was talking to my parents, I'd been much more rude. I just lost my cool because I forgot how the people I was talking to act."

"Well, let's finish this up," Tucker cut in. We got to work, repairing the breaker box.

XXX

It didn't take long for us to connect every wire to where it belonged and after an inspection from Mom and Dad, we were allowed to leave. It was now after nine o'clock and the three of us were nestled back into my room, now with the lights on. I could feel the, well, feeling slipping away and now I could barely feel the sweater I wore. I started tugging at the neckline, the cloth beginning to constrict me. It wasn't because I was hot; it was like a tie around my neck.

"You're starting to lose it, aren't you," Sam asked me as I tugged more at the neckline.

I looked up, surely my eyes betraying what I was trying to detail. I gave up, showing my true emotions. "Yeah. I'm not feeling anything now. Not hot or cold," I said, my voice weak. "And the sweater is becoming tight."

"We're here," Tucker said. I looked towards him to see he had his hand on my shoulder. It was almost time.

"Thanks," I spoke softly. I pulled my knees up to my chest, the world seemingly getting smaller. Before it felt as if the world wasn't bigger than what I could see or hear… but now, the world was much bigger. I could taste the world, I could feel the world, I could interact with the world. Soon, all I will be able to do is live vicariously through my friends and a life I used to have.

My air valves began to constrict, breathing becoming a chore. I tugged at the sweater neckband but it refused to give anymore relief. I closed my eyes, doing a test. Nothing but sounds came to me. I opened my eyes, a silent tear slipping down my cheek. I'm back to being a creature who walks both lines, neither alive nor dead.

I pulled the sweater over my head, the action giving much relief to my aching throat. I sucked in as much of the air as I could but it did little to give me the perception I have received lately. I tossed the sweater to the floor, hugging my knees tighter.

"We're here," Tucker spoke again, wrapping his arms around me. If you hadn't said that, I'd never know.

Sam propped her head on my shoulder but the only sign she was doing it was how my shirt wrinkled up from the pressure. I couldn't feel her weight, I couldn't feel the warmth of her body, I couldn't feel her breathing. I gently laid my head on top of hers, grateful for my friends. I don't know what I'll do when they leave me.

XXX

We laid wrapped up in ourselves for the remainder of the hour but when the clock read ten, I gently lifted Sam up so I could come to my feet. It was time for them to leave.

"We're not going," Sam commented. She turned around to face me, "You need us. Mr. and Mrs. Foley wouldn't mind Tucker staying the night here."

"You guys need to go home," I replied, closing Tucker's phone. He looked up at me in shock.

"I'm not leaving you," Tucker objected. "You're taking this hard. Mom and Dad will understand."

"I wouldn't," I cut in. "Tomorrow is school and I don't want you two to lose any sleep over me."

Sam tried pushing me over to no avail. Finally, she gave in and dealt another blow to me: "Then let us stay here because we won't get a wink if you aren't by our sides."

"You guys can't keep ignoring your needs and your lives because of me," I objected.

"When are you going to get it," Sam demanded. "You are our lives! We need you!"

"We're in this together," Tucker added.

"No, we're not," I said, floating out of our embrace. "You guys are as far removed from this as possible and that's the way I want it to stay. I don't want you to get hurt! I don't want you to watch me get hurt!"

"I've seen you hurt before," Sam remarked. "And let me tell you, nothing hurts more than watching you ignore us and shut us out. Every day you push us away, the deeper you plunge the knife in our hearts. If you let us into what is going on in your life, then it wouldn't be as painful!"

I wish that were true. "The actual injuries are not what I'm talking about. A rocket from Skulker, a blast from a random ghost; that is nothing. It's a bee sting. But watching you guys trail behind me, jeopardizing your lives to follow me into a pointless battle; it hurts more than you could imagine. And one of these days, you two will be shot. One of you may break bones or get a concussion. That's when I'll lose it!"

"One of these days, we'll hit a building like you and we'll shake the concrete from our hair like you and we will charge back into battle—just like you!" Tucker's eyes blazed as he imagined what he was speaking of. I knew these two dream of becoming half ghost like me, but one day they'll wake up and realize what they awoke from wasn't a dream but a nightmare.

"We're not leaving," Sam said. She stood up from my bed and walked over to my closet. Soon she was exiting my bedroom with a pair of violet floral pajamas. Of course, the flowers were black roses. Tucker followed suit, leaving with his own pair of monster truck pajamas. I sighed, grabbing my simple purple PJs.

XXX

I stared at the ceiling, the lights out and my friends soft breathing coming through my ears as loud rasping. The incandescence of Fentonworks lit the sky with an eerie green. I couldn't keep doing this. Soon, Vlad will return and I know that it will be more frequent than what he's been doing now. I closed my eyes, not really tired but I knew I needed to get some sleep. My human side still needs sleep and when I don't get it, it shows just like when I don't eat. I can't die from exhaustion or starvation but it shows on my human form.

I restlessly fell into sleep, strange images appearing to me. I wasn't having a pathetic dream, it wasn't really complete images. I've never had a dream quite like this. A woman… she looks a lot like Mom but her appearance doesn't match Mom's. The woman wears Mom's HAZMAT suit. The background is some kind of basement; brown brick walls, concrete flooring, support beams and columns. There's a portion of the basement that is blocked off with steel bars. The woman's face is tear-streaked and she's scared.

Another face flashes in my mind. A young boy, around my age. He looks a lot like me, even his hair styled like mine but yet again his appearance isn't exactly right. He's curled in the back of the room, knees hugged to his chest. Every other image, his eyes change position. His chest rises up and down, fear evident in his features. His clothing are exactly like mine.

A soft voice meets my ears. I can't tell who it is or what they're saying, but it's frantic; pleading. "Please," it finally cries out coherently. "Help me! I have a newborn at home! What will she do without me?"

"Shut up," a harsh voice cut out. Vlad appears in my vision, in his ghost form. His image becomes distorted.

"Vlad, please, don't do this," another voice cuts above, nearly deafening me. "They're innocent!"

"Not anymore they're not, Daniel," Vlad's voice replies. I have a hard time identifying it as Vlad and if it weren't for his mouth moving in my mind I probably wouldn't figure it out. "However, I do no longer have any use for the woman. With your mother's blatant rejection of my feelings, she's obsolete."

"Just let her go. You could erase her memory," the deafening voice pleaded again. "Hell, you could do this without the bodies! Just make everyone see me dead!"

"I can't do that, Daniel," Vlad remarked again, his mouth moving in my mind. "The way Jack and Maddie are, they won't give up that easily."

"Please, they're innocent, Vlad," it cried again. The image shook and became more distorted.

"Enough," Vlad erupted. "We end this!"

Vlad raises his hand and the image shakes as two bare arms grab his hand. Vlad lifts his hand, sending the hands away and the picture of Vlad disappears as the ceiling comes into contact. The picture goes black for a moment but it reappears frantically at the boy and the woman. "No!"

The woman is blasted with the red energy, her form dissolving into nothing more than dust. "And now for the lose end," a harsh voice announced. I imagine it was Vlad but I can't really tell. The image falls on the young boy as he screams out a strangled scream, scooting farther into the cell. Suddenly, he stops moving and his hands reach for his throat. His eyes go wide, unshed tears pooling.

"Please, no," the broken voice cries out. "This isn't necessary! Vlad, for God's sake, I'll do anything! He's just a boy! He has someone out there who loves him, who needs him!"

"He's a failed specimen; a mistake! We all must die, Daniel, we might as well take the mistakes first," the voice replied.

"He's not a mistake," the voice snapped back but it was strangled and panicked. "Please, boy, listen to me. It's not real! You can breathe. All you have to do is breathe! Just breathe!"

The boys eyes dulled over and he fell to the floor in a thump. The image disappeared, the floor replacing it. Water dripped into a puddle on the concrete. The image shook hard as it was lifted from the floor, falling on Vlad's face. "Now, we can be together forever."

The images become more smoothly as it followed a set of stairs leading higher into the building. Soon, a familiar bed filled the vision. The floor came into close proximity, painfully so. "I'm going to give you five minutes after you're undressed to prepare," Vlad instructed. I remember this. I came to my feet, terrified but determined.

As the door shut, I took in my surroundings. All memories of the woman and the boy vanished from my mind. I shut them out because if I tried, I could pretend they didn't exist and I didn't see what I saw. I didn't fail them and Vlad wasn't going to keep me prisoner.

XXX

I ran from the room, begging to find Mom. If Vlad had killed the woman so easily, what could he do to Mom? He might have mentioned her with Dad, but that doesn't mean the body Dad will find wouldn't really be Mom.

XXX

I didn't want to return to Vlad's. Things were different now. Things could get ugly and I was still ten minutes away from being able to do a damn thing.

XXX

I shot awake, screaming. In the darkness, two shadows jumped from their cots. I jumped out of bed, pacing the floor. "No, he wouldn't. He couldn't. I couldn't!"

"Danny," Sam cried, grabbing my hands to cease my pacing.

"No, no, no," I repeated softly, breathing hard. "It couldn't be."

"What's wrong," Tucker asked me.

"Plasmius," I spoke, breathless despite the large volume of oxygen I was sucking into my lungs. "It was just a dream! He couldn't. I wouldn't just sit there, powerless or not!"

"What are you talking about," Sam demanded, fearful.

"That night," I replied, my thoughts jumbled. "During DALV. I dreamed… I mean blocked… a woman and a boy… killed by Plasmius. I tried… I didn't do anything… they died. She had a baby. He was an only child to a single mother. No, no, no."

"Danny, calm down. It was just a nightmare," Sam tried to soothe me. I paced the floor again, pulling out of her hold.

"No, no, no," I repeated again, but this time in determination. "He-he wanted us. He was going to fake our deaths. Oh, my God." I cried out. "How could I not do anything!"

"I'm sure you tried," Tucker spoke softly. "He took your powers, remember."

"Yeah," I said, gathering my thoughts. "It was after he short circuited my powers but before what I clearly remember. But why did I… how could I? Their faces. Their horrified faces!"

My door swung open, my parents and sister standing just outside the door. Seeing my mom caused my eyes to well up.

"We've got it," Sam commented.

"That sounded pretty terrifying," Jazz said softly. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"We can handle it," Tucker commented. I resumed pacing. I couldn't see straight.

"You son of a bitch, how could you," I shot out, furious. My pacing took me by my cell phone and I dialed his number. I couldn't tell what my family was doing behind me but I heard Vlad's voice groggily come over the line. "You did it, didn't you!"

"Daniel," he asked, confused. "What are you doing calling me at this late hour?"

"Is this inconvenient," I asked, furious. "Because, I'm sure they felt the same way when you did that to them!"

"Who," Vlad asked, his voice sounding genuine.

"The boy and the woman," I hissed. "I remember! Did you make me forget?"

"Of course not," Vlad replied, shaking the sleep from his voice. "You made yourself forget. I wanted you to remember so you'll know I meant business but when we started making love they were long gone from your mind. What made you think of them again?"

"I'll kill you for that, you bastard," I shot.

"Danny," my mom cried.

"Daniel, is that Maddie," Vlad asked, alarmed.

"You stay away from me and you stay away from my family, do you understand me! I told you not to make me hit my knees! I'm done! Do you hear me, you God damned bastard, I'm done! It ended when I remembered innocent people were involved!"

"Danny, honey, who are you talking to," Mom tried to grab my phone. I kept it out of her reach.

"Hardly, Daniel. I will return for you either tomorrow or the next day. And you will come or the next person I kill will be family."

"You won't have the opportunity, you bastard. I begged you! You could have done anything but you decided to do that," I shot back.

"It's my choice. They were pathetic life forms. They didn't deserve to live," Vlad replied coolly.

"They were human beings and they had people who loved them! I mean, what even happened to the boy?"

"I disposed of him in the woods. Wolves probably got him," Vlad said, not caring he was talking about a child.

"I mean it, stay away from us and if you try to come after my family, I will make you pay. It's over," I shot. I slammed my phone shut and dropped it harmlessly to my bed. "Damn him!"

"Honey, who was that," Mom demanded.

"I don't have time for this," I shot off, storming out of the room. My anger was boiling. I was losing control. "I need a flight!"

"Danny, wait, you shouldn't go out alone," Sam cried.

"I'll be fine," I replied. I stomped down the stairs.

"Danny, you will not leave this house at this hour," Mom ordered. "It's after three in the morning!"

"I'm sorry, I need to cool myself down before I do something I'll regret… if I haven't already," I added. I exited the house, taking for my favorite transformation hiding spot. As soon as I was safe in the alley, I transformed and rocketed into the sky.

"Hey," Dad called out from the ground. I looked down to see him pointing in my direction. "It's that ghost boy! Inviso-Bill!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Dad," Jazz commented in a distance voice. "It's just a shooting star!"

I left hearing range.

XXX

I walked back home in my human form, allowing the biting cold nip at my bare arms. I walked back into my house, a quarter after four, to find my entire family waiting in the living room. I bit back the guilt, speaking up: "You guys didn't have to stay up for me."

Mom's eyes groggily opened, not quite awake yet not quite asleep. "Danny," Mom cried over joyous. "Young man, don't you ever leave this house at this late of an hour again, do you hear me?"

"I had to get away," I said, casting my eyes down. Sam and Tucker came over to stand beside me. "I need to make a phone call. I made a mistake."

"You sure did," Dad commented. "I couldn't imagine what Vladdie's face must have been like when you called him at three in the morning."

"Vlad's," my voice broke, surly my face paling. "Why would you say that?"

"They looked at your cell phone," Sam groaned.

"I tried to get them to leave it alone but Mom wanted to know who you had called. Why would you call Mr. Masters," Jazz asked me.

"I-I was out of my mind. I just—you know, I was tired. That's the reason I had to—have to call him back. Apologize."

"I already talked to him," Mom replied. "He told me it was no big deal and that he had been up working on paperwork anyway. I told him you'd call him in the morning. Now, get upstairs and you stay in this house," Mom scolded me.

I nodded, a lump forming in my throat. I headed upstairs, mentally kicking myself. Vlad was going to kick my ass for this! I stepped aside to allow my two friends in the room then closed my door. I initiated the silent proof walls.

"Now, do you mind filling us in because now we're the ones clueless," Sam commented.

"I'm not clueless," I defended.

"Not important," Tucker interrupted us. "What's going on, Danny, and no more stalling. No more lies. No more half-truths. Give us the full truth, unedited!"

I sighed, "Okay. You know about Plasmius and you know about Vlad. What you don't know is they're one and the same. Vlad Masters is Vlad Plasmius; he's my archenemy."

"What," Sam cried, alarmed. "You mean to tell me you spent a week with him alone!"

I suppressed a shiver, "Yeah. It wasn't all bad. I met my grandfather, Dad's dad, and I got to go swimming in December."

"How on Earth did you manage to do that," Tucker asked.

"Well, just like how it is for me, you and Brit, it was for Mom, Dad and Vlad. Vlad calls Grandpa Dad. And Vlad has an island in the southern hemisphere."

"He took you somewhere we didn't know," Sam asked, infuriated.

"Yeah. We only spent 32 hours in Wisconsin. The rest of the time was spent in Florida and the Island."

"Did he hurt you," Tucker asked me, his voice breaking.

"Don't worry about that," I replied. "I'm more worried about the present. He may kill me for going off the way I did."

"He won't touch you," Sam defiantly remarked.

"We can't stop that," I replied weakly. "He's so powerful. I imagine he'll make Mom and Dad forget about what they heard now that they've called him and he'll beat me."

"Did you not hear Sam," Tucker demanded, "He won't touch you!"

"There's nothing we can do," I replied quietly. "Just pray I'm recognizable."

"He better hope he's recognizable," Sam said, deadly.

"You are not to go near him," I cut in. I looked to Tucker, "Neither one of you!"

"If he's messing with you, he messes with us," Sam broke in. "You don't mess with the best and expect only the rest!"

"Team Phantom has never faced anything like this before," I replied coldly. "We've never experienced his kind of power. That sheer power!"

"And he's never faced anything like us," Tucker remarked. "If he gets too out of line, I wonder what he'd think about his employees receiving a notice in their offices about his status."

"His employees already know," I shot back. "Well, at least his women do."

"His women," Sam demanded.

"Yeah," I said slowly, "He's a real pig."

"Well, then, I wonder what he'd think about CNN or FOX News," Tucker suggested.

"Leave him alone," I shot back. "I didn't tell you guys so you could challenge him!"

"You didn't have a choice," Sam demanded. "And we're not through. What was this about the woman and the boy?"

"I'm not entirely sure. I had no memory of this but when I was dreaming, I seen what happened. Whether it's my overactive imagination or something that really happened, I don't know. But he killed two people who looked just like Mom and me. He was going to hold us against our wills, keeping Mom for himself and making me his evil apprentice."

It sounded plausible because that's what he once upon a time wanted.

XXX

Morning came fast, with the three of us getting no more sleep. We sat, legs crossed, on my bed, chatting about anything and everything when my alarm started going off. I slapped my hand on the off button, silencing it before it really began.

"It always amazes me how touchy your ears are," Tucker said, shaking his head. "I just heard it when you slammed it off."

"It sounds like a freight train to me," I commented, throwing my legs over the side of the bed. "I hate the sound. I'm trying to talk Mom and Dad into making me one that is softer sounding."

"How are you going to explain that," Sam asked me.

"Migraines," I explained simply. "I've told Mom that I've been having tension headaches lately from all the work Samuels's been giving me and the blaring alarm isn't helping. Worked like a charm."

"You mean she's doing it," Tucker asked, surprised.

"Sort of," I said, opening my closet. "She said she would but she's been so busy lately she hasn't begun. I've tried to remind her but I don't want to overburden her either. I mean, most of her obligations are because of me."

"I think we have a solution," Sam said, looking to Tucker. "You usually pick me up and we pick up Tucker but Tuck and I could meet you here and wake you up."

"Yeah," Tucker cut in, backing her up. "It's the least we could do! It'll also help cut back on the days you try to go to school on Saturdays." He snickered on the last part.

"No," I groaned, picking my outfit for the day. "I couldn't ask you guys to do that. Besides, I need to start taking more responsibility… not less!"

"More," Tucker cried out as Sam's eyes widened.

"Danny, you're overloaded as it is," Sam exclaimed.

"But I can't just pretend that I don't have other responsibilities. My grades have slipped, I don't do my chores, I'm neglecting you guys… and I haven't been to the office in so long, I imagine Julie won't recognize me!"

"Well, it's not like you're blowing these things off," Sam declared. Tucker nodded his head in agreement.

"But I can't exactly explain that, now can I. The way other people see it is I've been slacking. I can't expect to have that reputation and go far," I declared. "How will I get into a good college? How will I progress to reach the top of the Paranormal Ghost Hunters?"

"Danny," Tucker scolded, "Didn't Samuels tell you he was going to select you to take the Director spot when he retires."

I shot a dirty glare at him, "Not that high! There's a difference between what Samuels does and what I want to do. I want to make a difference, not just sign papers all day and babysit!"

Sam snickered, "Okay, what do you want to do?"

"I want to take the division places it can only dream of. Right now, we have unlimited power but absolutely no recognition. We have to mention we're with Homeland Security to generate a response. Could you imagine what it'd be like if Division G had a legitimate mission? I know we can't tell the people about the ghosts, I'm not that stupid, but I'm certain we could create a name for ourselves and get out there."

"Danny, I'm not sure that's even possible. There are people out there who have built reputations on the title ghost hunters and they've been perceived as either idiots or truth seekers. We don't want that kind of reputation for Division G," Sam said softly.

"I don't want to make it publicly known, not about the ghosts anyway," I remarked. "I want kind of a word of mouth kind of business… organization. There is so much the Division G could do if it had the word out there but like you said, I don't want the non-believers confusing us with the quacks."

"That's going to be a tricky job," Tucker remarked.

"I know that," I said playfully, "What else would you expect from the best ghost hunters? If we wanted easy, we wouldn't be in this profession now would we?"

They smiled back at me as I paused by the door. Finally, Sam was the first to her feet, Tucker following. I left the room, wondering if they thought I didn't know what they were doing. Sam and Tucker were dragging this out as much as possible so I'd have to let them fly to school. I'm beginning to see no harm in letting them do that every day.

I walked slow enough for Sam and Tucker to grab their clothes for the day and to catch up to me. Once they were by my side, I spoke up, "Tuck, you and I will take the basement shower so I don't have a repeat of last time. Sam, you shower up here so you can have some privacy. See you in the kitchen."

"Okay," Sam said, turning towards the shower while Tuck and I descended the stairs.

"What happened last time," Tucker asked me, snickering.

"I knew Sam was down here but I didn't expect showering near her would be so… difficult."

"Don't you mean hard," Tucker replied playfully.

I blushed, "Come on, Tuck! Things are getting weirder and weirder. Don't you remember when we use to go swimming with Sam or when she'd sleep over and it was totally normal to see her… that way!"

Tucker laughed some more, "That was before she turned into a girl! At least that's what it feels like. You like her so now it's not just seeing your best friend naked, it's seeing the girl you really want to see naked naked. Sam has really blossomed in the last two-to-three years! She's a really beautiful lady."

"And that scares the hell out of me," I shot back, opening the lab door. "I shouldn't feel like this for my best friend. It'd be like… feeling like that for you!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Tucker interjected. "I'm a guy. You're straight. What you feel for Sam is normal. If you felt that way about me… it'd just be weird." Tucker said the last part slowly as it sank in. "Ew."

"Tell me about it," I replied. We now were at the bottom of the stairs and entering into the lab portion of the basement. "But it's still the same thing. It shouldn't matter if Sam's a girl or not… she's my friend. Aren't there boundaries or something?"

"D, you've always liked Sam," Tucker interjected. "Remember what you said when we first met her. She was bullying us but you still thought she was the coolest girl on the planet!"

"And I still do," I cut in, "But that doesn't mean I want to date the coolest girl on the planet. I just thought she was awesome and so unlike all the other girls." I laughed, embarrassed, "I thought I found a girl who had been sanitized from her cooties."

Tucker laughed hard at this, "Danny, it's called denial and you're swimming in the part that is way over your head. Why don't you just tell Sam how you feel?"

"Because, she doesn't feel the same way and we might lose our friendship! How could things go back to the way they were when suddenly Sam realizes what it means when I stare at her for three seconds longer than I use to. Now, she just becomes self-conscious, worried about spinach stuck in her teeth. If I told her, she'd be grossed out and wouldn't want to hang out with us anymore… or at least me!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Tucker demanded. "Let me prove it to you. If anyone would cause Sam to react that way, it would be me. If I ask Sam out and when she says no and we're still friends, will you ask her then!"

"Tucker," I cried out, stopping just outside the basement portion of downstairs. "You wouldn't risk your friendship for that, would you?"

"I know I'm not risking it," Tucker retorted back. "D, I've told you a thousand times. I'm Kix in 'If You See Him, If You See Her.' Sam's Reba and you're Ronnie!"

"Tucker," I scolded now, "Sam doesn't feel the same about me. You've heard her and you see how she reacts. She couldn't imagine being with me."

"Well, the late night chats we've had says differently," Tucker interjected. "I promised both of you that I wouldn't tell the other what you've said, but I can't ignore that my two best friends like each other and would make a perfect pair!"

I glared a dirty look at him, "You haven't!"

"And why shouldn't I," Tucker shot back. "Sam's told me how she feels about you and I've tried talking to you. You've told me how you feel about her and I've tried talking to her. Damn it all if I can't get the two of you to see a fifty foot meat monster right in front of your faces!"

"It's not exactly Lunch Lady, Tuck," I said, resuming my walking. Tucker began to follow me again.

"Well, I think that it is. You are both so clueless! Every blush, every slip of the tongue, every look gets ignored but it's like a damn barge horn going off!"

"Tuck, you're mistaken," I interjected at him again. I formed ectoplasm around my hand, "Sam doesn't like me!"

"Whoa, Danny, just calm down," Tucker said, panic and urgency crossing his face. I pointed my hand in the corner and shot, Tucker shouting, "Danny, don't kill me!"

"Kill you," I asked, confused. I removed my shirt. "Why would I kill you?"

"Danny, you just… I mean, you have… what did you do?"

I blushed, "Oh, right, it was Sam who saw me do this. It's a little trick I learned from Vlad. You can mold ectoplasm energy blasts into solid objects. I just made a shower with ecto-energy."

"I thought you were pissed at me and was going to shoot me again," Tucker cried out. "Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry, dude," I apologized. I smiled sheepishly at him as Tucker removed his own pajama top. I removed my pants and stepped into the shower.

"Hey, Danny," Tucker asked me out of my sight.

"Yeah," I asked, turning on the water. I have to admit, I've gotten pretty good at creating the shower with one blast. Vlad was right, once you've had some practice imagining it, it comes easier.

"Where'd you get that cut across your chest," Tucker asked me.

Inwardly, I jumped. I formed ectoplasm in my hand and imagined a mirror. The refection of my chest shinned up at me and a scar from night before last's fight with Invincible was clearly visible. "Wow," I commented, surprised. "It hasn't healed!"

"Where'd you get it," Tucker asked again. "And doesn't all your injuries practically heal up on sight!"

"They're supposed to," I commented quietly, trying to figure this out. If the Ectoranium was out of my bloodstream enough to return my senses to normal, shouldn't it have resumed my healing process.

"Dude, are you okay," Tucker asked me.

"Yeah, just surprised is all," I said. "This thing should be healed. It's over 24 hours old!" Seeing the scar reminded me of the little blue lines. I adjusted the mirror and sure enough, the lines were still there.

"Who hit you," Tucker asked me, his voice off key. I imagined he was shampooing his hair.

"A new kind of ghost," I remarked, my voice soft as I observed the blue lines. "It's nothing you need to worry about," I remarked, focusing on Tuck again. I dissolved the mirror.

"The injury he gave you is reacting differently than the normal ghosts you face," Tucker remarked dryly, "I say it's something we need to worry about."

"No, no, no," I brushed his fear off, "That's not what I meant. He thinks I'm dead!"

"What," Tucker strangled out, "And this is good news?"

"Well, yeah," I commented. "If we don't cross paths again, he'll just go about his afterlife while I go about my life."

"Danny, you can't expect to never cross paths with him again," Tucker interjected. "He wanted you dead for a reason."

"Yeah," I commented. "He was sore that someone else in the Ghost Zone was called unbeatable. He wanted to settle the score on who was more powerful. He didn't do what he wished to accomplish but he showed me he's not someone I want to mess with if at all possible."

"Who is he," Tucker asked me. I formed ectoplasm in my hand and began to lather it into my hair.

"It doesn't matter," I remarked, now my voice wavering. "It doesn't include you."

"Come on, D, it's about you. That means it includes us," Tucker remarked, the water sounding louder. He's rising.

"It doesn't matter," I remarked dryly. "If it doesn't include you guys, I'm not going to involve you guys."

Tucker groaned as I finished lathering up my hair. I began to rinse the soap out and when I finished, I turned the water off. I stepped out of the shower, dissolving it away as soon as my feet hit concrete. I turned intangible, the water pooling over the drain in the basement. Tucker's water shut off next, him stepping out.

"That looks really bad, D," Tucker commented, looking at my chest.

"It doesn't hurt," I commented. "It's just like a wound I got weeks or months ago. It may only be a day old but it's progressed to be much older."

"Still," Tucker said, grimacing. "I imagine it hurt like hell when it happened."

I chuckled. "I can't deny you here," I said. "It hurt more than what I'm used to. But I'm okay now!"

Tucker nodded sadly and I felt the guilt pile on. I was hurting him because I was being open. I shook my head and went to get dressed. When I pulled my shirt over my head, completing my outfit, I looked down to my arm. My chest and my leg was covered but the scar on my arm was still visible. Tuck and I headed upstairs.

XXX

I kept my arm close to me, trying not to look too suspicious but I bound to have not been doing a good job at it.

"Danny," Sam asked me as we reached the kitchen from the lab, "Why are you holding your arm?"

"His arm," Tucker asked alarmed. I gave a weak smile.

"I need to run upstairs real quick. Be back in a minute," I said, running up the stairs. I heard loud clanging following me. Shit! I turned around, the action nearly causing Sam and Tucker to ram into me. "It's nothing, all right. I guess I can show you."

XXX

I led them upstairs to where I retrieved the first aid kit from the bathroom. Once safely in my room, I removed my hand from my arm. Sam and Tucker gasped.

"Danny," Tucker cried out again.

"I told you it was nothing," I tried to sound indifferent.

"That's not nothing," Sam declared.

"Come on," I said, placing a finger on Sam's elbow. "Remember this one! You slipped on ice and you skid your elbow!"

"I heal normally," Sam shot back. She picked up the scissors and cut the top of my hand to make a point.

I hissed, "Sam! What'd you do that for?" I looked for my hand to heal up but it continued to ooze blood from the incisor. "What the?"

"You're not healing," Sam cried out in horror.

"Oh, crap," I groaned. I sat down on my bed and opened the first aid kit. I put a band aid on the cut but it really wasn't that bad. I wrapped my arm up, adding nothing more. Tucker grabbed the other gaze and, lifting my shirt up to my chin, wrapped my chest. Sam gasped at the one across my chest.

"Damn it, Danny, you lied to us," Sam shot at me.

"What do you mean," I asked up from my bandaging.

"You told us you were handling some things yesterday," Sam shot back. "You were healing!"

"Isn't that something," I asked innocently. "Just like an art project is turning yourselves half ghost?"

Tucker gasped as what Sam finally made sense to him, "Oh, my God, Danny! Where were you?"

"The Free Clinic," I said in a hushed voice. Honestly, I'd speak that sentence quieter than one along the lines 'I'm half ghost.'

"What did you tell them," Sam asked.

"It doesn't matter," I remarked. "Sam, would you wrap my leg up?" I lifted my leg up, careful not to disrupt Tucker or myself in our bandaging. I turned my leg intangible, causing the fabric to fall through but I brought my leg back to its solid form, the skin exposed.

"Danny," Sam scolded as Tucker stared at the third wound I'd received from Invincible in horror.

"That's the last one," I commented. "He struck me three times and he left, thinking the job was done."

"What job," Sam asked as she began to wrap my leg.

"It doesn't matter," I replied simply.

Tucker, however, betrayed the Dude Code, saying, "Kill Danny."

"Tucker," I shot back angrily.

"You told him but you weren't going to tell me," Sam demanded, furious.

"I wish I hadn't told Tucker," I said, my gaze diverting away from my two friends. "I don't want to hurt you guys."

"Trust me when I say that we're actually in less pain now than when you were hiding this from us," Sam commented.

"How can I believe that," I shot back. "You had no idea that I was hurt. You believed I was off taking care of some ghost business. It didn't even cross your minds."

"But thinking back, it hurts more to know you don't trust us with some things," Tucker interjected.

"More than that," Sam continued even before Tucker finished speaking. "We know you so well we can tell when something is bothering you. It's getting harder to tell what is affecting you. Before you went to Vlad's, it was almost easy to tell what issue had you worked up but now… there are so many things going wrong in your life I'm not even sure you know which one is bothering you the most."

I finished wrapping my arm, holding the gaze in place until I could secure it, "No. I know which one affects me the most." I placed the pin in the cloth, securing it in place. Tucker grabbed a pin of his own, securing his work. "Thanks, you guys. I know I shouldn't ask you…"

"Just stop," Tucker interrupted me. "We're your best friends, aren't we?"

"Of course," I said, a little offended.

"Well, then there's no need to thank us. It's in our job description!"

"Right," Sam backed Tucker up. "It's nice to be involved in the less-than-flattering roles of your life. We haven't been included in this club in forever!"

I looked down, shamefully. They've been in every club involving the less-than-flattering roles of my life. I haven't just hung out with them, or done something that isn't either ghost related or ghost-interrupting in ages. I need to show them how much they mean to me… more than just a couple sidekicks. They're my partners. We're not Team Phantom because it's my last name in ghost form, but because we're invisible. It was a play on words from how we don't stand out in school. We were Team Phantom long before I became half ghost!

Sam secured the pin, announcing, "Any more wounds we should know about?"

"No," I answered truthfully. "Everything else heals on impact."

"Which begs the question," Tucker began, "What are we going to do when a ghost attacks today?"

I held up my first aid kit, "Bandage me up!"

"You mean us," Sam cut in. "If you're not healing like normal, then you can't use the excuse that we can't help because we don't heal."

"Maybe not," I remarked, "But I'm still the weapon. It's pretty hard to shoot my weapon out of my hands considering I'm a sometimes alive, sometimes breathing weapon."

Tucker cracked a smile, "Yeah, but that sometimes alive, sometimes breathing weapon can share his abilities."

"No way," Sam objected. "When Danny does that, it weakens his own and shortens his attention span. Danny has a short enough attention span in battle as it is. With his probability of getting injured higher, then we'll just have to go it as humans. It's not like we're the first human ghost hunters, Danny. You're actually just the first hybrid-ghost ghost hunter."

"No," I objected my own objection. "You guys aren't going to get involved."

"See if you can stop us," Tucker challenged.

"If I have to ecto-rope you guys to each other, I will," I demanded.

"And we have a Jack-o-nine tails in our book bags. That thing eats through just about anything!"

I groaned, "Well, we'd better be getting to school if we're going to make it, even flying."

"Remember, we need to pick up our bags," Tucker objected.

It was almost too easy but I knew they had more than ghost weapons in their bags. I stood up, turning my leg intangible, careful to include the bandage Sam had wrapped around it and phased my leg back in my pant leg. Once we were all ready, I transformed, opening their minds. I took Sam and Tucker's hands, preparing to lift them in the air.

"Actually," Sam interrupted. "Danny, activate my powers but you guys go get something to eat while I fly and get our books. Don't forget to get me something, Danny. I don't trust Tucker to get me a vegetarian meal."

"Good idea," I remarked. I phased Sam out of my room, turning her invisible. Tuck headed for the door as I picked up my sweater from yesterday, following him down the stairs.

"Danny," Mom scolded me. "Honey, you're going to be late to school!"

"It's okay," I replied, placing my arms in the sweater. "I had something I had to take care of. Do you have anything we can eat in a hurry? You know Tucker can't go two hours without something to eat!" I finished slipping the sweater over my head.

Tucker playfully glared at me as Mom nodded her head. I pulled the sweater down as she grabbed the hot bag out of the cabinet, turning it on and packing it with easy to eat food. Mom handed me the bag.

"Thanks, Mom," Tucker cried, grabbing the bag before I could. I stared in shock at how Tucker had managed to outmaneuver me.

We took off running for the door. I picked up my bag, slipped the first aid kit inside and headed out the door. Tucker smacked into something hard, a groan coming from seemingly nowhere. Sam appeared before our eyes, I jumping back but Tucker shrieking like a little girl.

"Oh, can it Foley," Sam shot back. She tossed Tuck his bag. "Let's fly!"

I opened Tucker's mind, triggering my rings once again. I lifted Tucker in the air, turning him invisible then vanishing myself. I turned Sam invisible and we headed towards school.

XXX

We ran through the door, slamming into our desks just as the bell rang. We scooted our desks together and Tucker handed the hot bag to me. Quietly and subtly, I created an ecto-energy box on the bottom of my desk which was directly between Sam and Tucker's. I rummaged through my book bag, bring out my books and what looked to anyone else like a pencil box. I removed a small green capsule inside. I opened the hot bag, snapping open the capsule and placing it in the bag.

"Any odor will be absorbed by the capsule," I whispered to Sam and Tucker. They nodded, Tucker the first one reaching for the food.

Tucker sighed, satisfied, once the food silently slipped in his mouth. Sam reached under, grabbing her a pastry. The hot bag was divided in two compartments, one vegetarian and one carnivorous. It was breakfast themed, not the normal pastries, so I slipped one in my mouth too. The bacon, egg and cheese melted in my mouth, the small hot-pocket-like pastry causing me to slightly sigh in satisfaction. Mom did know how to do it right!

We ate silently as we listened to Mrs. Harold teach our class. She was one of the few teachers who stuck around more than a period and even fewer who have remained. Sometimes, you're so desperate to get a full-time job, you'll even put up with ghosts!

XXX

First period went uninterrupted, as did second and third like usual. However, as our combined fourth periods were going more than halfway through, my ghost sense went off. I raised my hand, sighing.

"Yes, Mr. Fenton," Mr. Lancer replied, sighing his own disappointment.

"Tuck, Danny and I need to be excused, Mr. Lancer," Sam spoke up before I could reply. "It's business related."

"Excuse me," Mr. Lancer asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"We have other obligations," Tucker spoke up.

"Guys," I scolded.

Sam slipped her backpack over shoulder, "Don't try to weasel your way out of this."

"I prefer to think of myself more as a badger, but you two aren't going. It'll just be me, Mr. Lancer," I replied.

"I'm thinking about letting none of you go. One person at a time goes to the restroom, Miss Manson. You know that," Mr. Lancer responded.

"We're not going to the bathroom," Tucker replied. He slipped his bag over his shoulder, adjusting the straps. "We have real business to tend to."

"If you have any questions, the excuse will be in your office at the end of the day," Sam remarked. I groaned. This was going to be a long day.

"Hey, Dweebs," Dash called out angrily, "Who do you think you are? The A-List?"

"No," Sam shot back, glaring him in the eye. "We don't pretend!"

I groaned out. "Okay, you two. Stick close. If we're going to do this, we better get to work or we'll have to wait for the next one!"

"Right," Tucker said, leading down the aisle.

"Mr. Foley, Mr. Fenton, Miss Manson," Mr. Lancer scolded.

"It's Division G related," I said, looking him in the eye. Tucker and Sam exited out of the classroom first, followed by me. I groaned, "When this happens again, please do not disrupt the class. I try to slip out as quietly as possible." I wasn't being rude. I was just letting them in on protocol.

"Okay," Sam commented. I took the lead, following the ghost's detection. Sam and Tucker started pulling out weapons, growing them to full size.

We got into character, pulling out all the stops. We started scanning the halls, trying to detect where the ghost was. Finally, my ears picked up a commotion. I looked to the ceiling, "The upper floors! Jazz!"

"Let's go," Tucker called, making his way up the stairs. When we made it to the sources of the screaming, we came across Johnny 13's shadow. I narrowed my eyes.

"So, if it's not the Dork of Darkness," I stated, remembering the last time he came through here.

Tucker snickered as he tucked his ecto-weapon under his arm and pulled out his PDA. Tucker began typing away, doing something on the device while I started circling him. Sam called up to me, "How about a little tag team?"

"Be my pleasure," I called. Sam centered her weapon and I triggered my rings. I fired the first blast which Sam quickly countered on. We began a bombardment of fire on him, causing the shadow to withdraw. The light from Sam's ecto-rifle and the energy from my blasts began to weigh down on him. Just as he was about to attack, the backup lights flooded the area, shinning tremendous light on him. He shrieked from existence.

"Bye, bye," Tucker waved sarcastically. "God, I love that shadow!"

"Well, I don't," I grumbled. "He stuffed my head down the sewage system. I'll torture that damn shadow any time of the day."

"Yeah, don't mess with the 'do," Sam commented, a smile on her lips. "Nice play, Danny."

"You two did good," I commented. They smiled back up at me.

XXX

Sam and Tucker followed me as I entered into the administrator's office. "Hello, I need to use the telephone."

"Are you sick," The secretary asked me. "You need to speak to the nurse if you are."

"I'm not sick. I need to call my office. I need to make an excuse," I replied. I pulled out my wallet, opening it to a badge.

"What are you trying to pull," she eyed me suspiciously.

"Nothing," I rose my voice. "If you won't let me use the phone, I will go talk to Principal Ishyama."

"Fine," she grumbled. "The Principal's busy."

I picked up the phone and called Julie in Chicago. She told me she'd take care of it. A few minutes later, the secretary came to the counter where Sam, Tuck and I were waiting for our excuse. Her voice was hollow from shock. "I'll put this in Mr. Lancer's office, here's your class admittance and I'll keep the extra one on file for any time you need it. It's good for the rest of eternity."

**AN: If you need any of the chapter companions, one through seven are posted on my forum. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Eleven down, six more to go. I plan to have Danny's Story, Part 2: New Beginnings up by August fourth. Please stick around and don't forget to review. I like to hear your feedback.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom, Teacher of the Year or Control Freaks.**

**AN: This story contains rape and male sex.**

**Chapter 12: In This Together**

The class admittance slip had all three of our names written on the top, excusing us for our 'absence'. I lead my friends out of the office, heading back to fourth period. We had a little over ten minutes left of class. "Try to finish up all work he gives you. I wish you guys would just leave it be but if you're going to follow me every time my ghost sense goes off, just please remember to be discrete."

"Okay," they replied. I opened the door, walking into Mr. Lancer's classroom.

"Here's our excuse, Mr. Lancer. The full one was placed in your office by the secretary," I replied. Mr. Lancer eyed the excuse suspiciously but couldn't find anything wrong with it. We three took our seats.

I copied down the notes from my half of the board while Sam and Tucker done the same on their side. We continued like normal for the remainder of class.

When class let out for fourth period, it came the time where us three separated again, this time in completely different locations. I had Spanish, Tucker had Computer Technology and Sam had Social Sciences. I gave Tucker his book and grabbed my own, ready to bid them farewell. Spanish was on the second floor. Usually, the students took Spanish in tenth grade but I had got stuck with it because Samuels had interfered with my courses. He wanted his Radar to speak a second language.

We three split up and I headed to the second floor. I hated Spanish class! Neither of my friends were there, I was the only underclassmen and most of my sister's friends were in the class. The only good thing that came from the class was Jazz took it in ninth grade too. I couldn't imagine sharing a class with her!

I walked into my class, a new name on the board. I groaned. Spanish was bad enough but with the teacher interchanging so much, it was worse. I didn't think it was possible. Most of the substitutes didn't know the language themselves, so that added strain. I was the most fluent speaker in the class and it wasn't because of practice.

Ghosts are obviously an international species. Even beings from other galaxies come to the Ghost Zone, Skulker being one of them while Bullet was another. To help ease the culture differences, all ghosts know how to speak the other languages. The only thing I've seen that doesn't seem to fit quite right is Wulf. I haven't had time to study why I can't speak Esperanto but for some reason I don't speak that language.

I sat down in my seat, the furthest from everyone. Every one of these students were higher grades than me. Most were in tenth grade, but a few were eleventh and twelfth graders. A beautiful blonde haired girl, her hair in cute pigtails, walked into the door. I glanced away, hoping she wouldn't try to do as she always did. I heard the chair next to mine squeak as I knew Jessica sat down.

"Hey, Danny," Jessica greeted me.

"Hey," I said weakly, not looking up.

"How was your weekend," she asked me, trying to engage in conversation.

"Hmm, all right," I groaned. "Have you seen Jazz?"

"Yeah," she spoke up. "She was in my last class. She's worried about you, you know."

"She doesn't need to be," I said, finally looking up.

"There's those baby blues," Jessica coddled me.

"Oh, cut it out," I blushed. Just two years older than me and she had a way of making me feel eight again.

"Do you want to talk," Jessica asked me.

"Not really," I replied, taking my books out of my bag. Today was going to be a long one in class. Every time there's a new teacher, I get bombarded with questions. They're still carrying on the lessons, although they never send in a teacher with any experience.

The bell rang and Jessica gave up. She should be used to this by now. Jazz should be too. She can't send in her friend to get me to open up to her. For some reason, Jessica has been trying to get me to talk to Jazz since the beginning of December.

XXX

The lights were all out, and we were watching some kind of film in complete Spanish. The teacher didn't understand a bit of it and the rest could care less. I could see how all the older students' eyes were zoned out and even a few were drooping as the material made no sense to them. I listened intently, the dialogue entering my ears in the foreign language and translating to English in my mind. If I allowed myself to get caught up, like many of them were doing, it would sound like the program was in complete English.

When the teacher turned the film off and turned the lights back on, she told us the assignment. I began writing it down, completing my assignment. The other students were confused and a little scared. However, despite my efforts to make it unknown, someone saw that I understood the assignment. It started from there.

I began talking about the lesson, the teacher a far cry from discouraging it. I explained the exercise and talked about the film. I didn't give away any answers, just helped them understand it enough. When I turned my paper in to the teacher, she looked at me.

"You're really good at this," she spoke.

"Thanks," I grumbled. "I've dealt with foreign languages all my life. I've had to deal with interpreters and understanding foreign customs. A small assignment isn't anything."

"I don't just mean Spanish," she remarked. "I mean teaching. You're good at it. I was watching you… you never gave any answers. You actually taught them some things though it would have been easier to just give them the answers they wanted."

I nodded, not knowing what to say to that.

"I have a question for you," she replied. "I know nothing about Spanish and I understand the situation going on here. The board has ordered me to teach this class for the rest of the year until they can find a replacement. It's not easy to find teachers who are willing to put up with the ghosts but I'm more scared of the Spanish. Do you think you could… I don't know… teach the class?"

"What," I asked shocked. "But don't you need certification and all that," I asked.

"We're desperate," she said, exasperated. "There aren't enough teachers to cover all the classes. They're doubling up classes and giving teachers multiple subjects to teach. We're asking anyone in the community to come and watch classes. It's not something we should do but we're pressed up against a wall. If I can't teach these kids something, who will? You can!"

"But… you know, I just can't," I stuttered.

"It's up to you but you seemed so natural there. I don't know if you know you have a real talent, but you do, Kid."

"It's Danny," I remarked, "Danny Fenton."

"Fenton," she asked, surprised.

"Yeah."

"They asked your parents to teach Science," she remarked. My eyes widened. "Don't worry. Your parents turned them down. Said they had too much to do with all the ghosts. You're safe!"

I sighed. My eyes traced the board, "So, Mrs. Baker, huh."

"Yes," she smiled at me. "And I have absolutely no experience in Spanish. You do, Mr. Fenton. I'm certain you can make this not a complete loss."

I sighed, "I'll think about it. I have a lot of responsibilities to do. I can't exactly fit anything more in my schedule."

"Just give it some thought. And if you allow me to use your work as a grading system, I'll grade their papers based on yours."

I chuckled, feeling embarrassed even as I said it, "It'll be right." I knew it would. It sounds just like English. "So," I smacked my lips together. "Any relation to Mikey Baker?"

"I've got that question a lot," she smiled, "but afraid not. I'm not from around here."

I smiled, "Just checking. He's a friend of mine." I returned to my seat, thinking over her offer. I had no intentions teaching anyone anything. I want to be an astronaut. My expertise isn't even in Spanish; it's just because of these stupid abilities. Could I handle teaching and having to run out to fight a ghost? I won't always have fifth period free of ghost attacks. In fact, I've had eight happen in this period.

When fifth period ended, I met Sam and Tucker at the cafeteria to begin lunch. Since the incident with the menu and the menu was changed back to normal, we three pack our lunches. However, we don't pack our lunches like normal people do. One of my parents greatest inventions comes in the shapes of either a compact or a full sided refrigerator. Mom has designed the compact fridge we use to hold food for a period of 7 to 10 days, the typical lifespan of fresh food.

I placed the small cube on the table and pressed a button. The cube expanded into a compact refrigerator, ready to take our 'order.' Sam selected her usual vegetarian meal while Tucker pressed the button reserved for a Tucker-approved meal. When it came to my turn, I selected my usual sandwich and soda. However, my hand stayed extended longer than I usually do. Impulsively, I selected the button for an apple.

"Well," Sam smiled, "I'm impressed."

"I can't explain it," I commented, shrugging my shoulders. "I want an apple."

"You have a craving," Tucker asked me, surprised.

"Tell me about it," I smiled. I bit into the apple but no flavor came from the action. "Can't taste it, but I wanted it."

"Well, if you can't taste it, how do you know you're getting it," Tucker asked me.

I shrugged again, biting into the apple again as I pushed the button on the compact fridge. The fridge compacted until it was nothing more than a small, black cube. I packed the invention in my backpack, the food guaranteed until Saturday. I bit into the apple again, nothing reacting in my mind. "Hey guys, I have something I need to ask you and I want you to be honest."

"Okay," Sam said, biting into her salad for the first time. Tucker also began eating, nodding his go-ahead.

"Well, my Spanish teacher doesn't know Spanish and she's drawn the short stick so to speak. With Principal Ishyama and Mr. Lancer expecting the lessons mapped out by our original teachers completed on schedule, our Spanish class is really in trouble. And then, there's her shining star," I started. I paused, allowing them to soak in what I was saying.

"What is her shining star," Sam asked me, her eyebrows knitting together.

I pointed my thumb to my chest, "Yours truly. With my powers, it's like I'm reading English. If I keep the rules of Spanish Grammar in check, I can read and speak perfect Spanish. I'm the only one in my class that is still progressing. How ironic! I'm failing the rest of my classes because of my ghost powers but my ghost powers are causing me to excel in one class and I'm the only one passing."

"What does she want you to do," Tucker asked, leaning closer to the table.

"She wants me to teach the class," I replied.

"What," Sam called out, surprised.

"You're telling me," I exclaimed, looking between my two friends.

"Danny," Tucker started then trailed off, "I mean… how will you explain your success?"

"So far, my story of dealing with other counties has done the trick. But I am worried that I could mess up. What happens if I slip up and begin talking the rest of the day in Spanish? What if I start speaking in Spanish to the class and it brings up questions?"

"So what are you going to do," Sam asked me.

I put my head in my hand, groaning, "I don't know! I mean, on one side of the coin I should do everything I can to help my class but on the other side, how far should I go? Do I expect to risk my secret? Is the progression of my class worth my secret?"

"That's something only you can answer," Sam replied.

I groaned again, still holding my head, "You guys want to do everything with me. You want to help me in the hard times! Help!"

"And you want to shield us from the pain you go through," Sam shot back.

"This doesn't hurt," I groaned playfully, "It's just a pain!"

"Danny," Tucker became the voice of reason, "We can't help you with this decision. We want to but ultimately it is only your choice. I think you can handle it but I don't know everything that is going off in your life."

"Which is completely your fault," Sam shot back.

"Okay, I've seen this episode before," I said, looking up. I looked into Tucker's eyes, "Sam?"

They started laughing, and soon I joined in as well. I didn't really believe they had changed bodies but considering Sam's hot headed and Tucker's more reasonable, it is a good assumption.

"Seriously, Danny, Tuck's right. We would like to say you could handle it but I have no idea what is going off in your private life," Sam commented.

I took a shaky breath, "Well, she did say that it would only be during class. She wants to use my paper as a grade sheet."

"So, you could totally pull this off," Tucker remarked.

"I don't know. I don't have either one of you two to back me up if I have to go fight a ghost," I remarked quietly.

"True," Sam said, "But we could handle the fifth period attacks."

"No," I shot back. "Absolutely not! I will not lay this on your heads!"

"You wouldn't be," Tucker cut in, a smile on his lips. "Come on, Danny. You were good when you began ghost hunting but you perfected the trade by live practices. Let us have the same opportunities!"

"Tucker," I cried out, "This isn't a video game! When those blasts hit you, you feel pain. When you get killed, you don't get any more lives. Ghost hunting is serious."

"You think we don't know that," Sam commented. "We worry about you all the time. The last we checked, you were getting real injuries! You have three large gashes on your body now that no one besides us knows about. Danny, we get how serious ghost hunting is."

"I know you worry," I said, soft spoken. "But… I'm half ghost. On most occasions, I heal rapidly. I get slammed into a wall, my broken bones heal immediately or at least when I power down. If you hit a wall, you guys could be laid up for weeks or months, paralyzed or killed! Right now, if I hit a wall, I can almost guarantee that I would heal up before the day was over. My nick Sam gave me already has."

I ripped the band aid from my hand to show them what I meant. You couldn't even see the puncture Sam had made on my hand this morning. The only sign of it was the tale-tale sign of the band aid.

"Still, is that something you want to risk," Tucker asked me, trying to make me cave.

"Yes," I shot back. "It's a hell of a lot better than risking you two. You have no idea what you mean to me. I've been more overprotective lately because of a dream, a normal one, I had. I woke up in the middle of the dream, so don't worry."

"What was the dream about," Sam asked me.

I took a shaky breath, "I had Vlad's offer on my head. He wants me to become his evil apprentice and I was spending a week with him. I dreamed of becoming evil. I killed Tucker, I killed Jazz, I did nothing while Vlad killed Dad and… and I helped him destroy the town," I stated. I altered the amount of information I was going to give them at the last minute. I couldn't tell Sam I had raped her. Not with what happened to her nearly two weeks ago.

"Danny," Tucker whispered to me, reaching his hand across the table to rest on mine. "We know you could never do those things!"

"Even I know that," I said, looking up at him. I suppressed the tears I felt building. "But I saw it. You two were so hurt. You tried to get me to see reason but I was too far gone. Tucker stepped up first, protecting Sam and I just heartlessly shot a beam through his chest." I choked up, looking away from their faces. "How could I do that?"

Tears started rolling down my cheeks, the energy to keep them at bay completely gone. "Danny," I heard Sam's voice. I forced myself to look up to look at her. "We know you would never hurt anyone. You wouldn't hurt a fly unless it was endangering one of us or your family."

"But you guys are my family," I said, looking between them. "Tuck has been my brother since I found him playing in the yard when we were four. Sam, you mean everything to me. I'd kill for you. I'd tear the world apart looking for you if something ever happened to you. You're more than my sister. You're more than my friend. You're my everything."

Sam's eyes welled with tears, her purple eyes beginning to shine. I looked down at my hands to notice her small ones on top of mine. I placed my free hand to cap off theirs. We sat at our table, feeling like it was only the three of us in this whole big world. Our lunches sat uneaten, just like all we ever needed was each other.

"What's this, a three-some," a voice cut above the cherished silence. I looked up, seeing Dash, Kwan, Chris and Tommy standing around our table, the three stooges backing up the biggest doofus of them all.

"Back off, Baxter," Sam shot off, pulling her hand from our collection. Tucker also removed his hand, sitting higher on the bench.

"Or what," Tommy asked, snickering.

"Leave them alone," I looked to my friends. "They're not worth it."

"Is that right, Fentonsky," Dash mocked.

I turned around, looking him in the eye, "I don't associate with lower life forms."

Dash grabbed me by my shirt's collar, heaving me into the air. I didn't flinch, just letting him have his fun. "What'd you call me?"

"I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't insult the intelligence challenged."

Dash grunted in anger, ready to hit me when suddenly his hand was wrenched behind his back painfully. "I suggest you leave," Tucker called angrily, holding Dash's hand behind his back. Dash dropped my shirt in surprise.

"Tucker," I called, angrily.

"No, Danny, he's not going to hurt you. You may sit there and take it, but I'm sick of being pushed around. Not when I can handle these losers!"

"Tuck," I said, softer. "They'll get off with this. We won't. Let him go."

"I got my eye on you, Baxter," Tucker said, releasing his arm. Tucker began walking towards me when I saw Sam standing beside me.

Dash unexpectedly grabbed Tucker's shirt, bringing him closer to him. This angered me, and apparently Sam as well. However, before either one of us could react, Tucker ducked the way he was taught, slipping easily out of the surprised jock's pathetic grip. However, when Tucker balled his fist up, I called quietly, "Tuck."

Tucker stopped, holding his fist in a ready to punch angle for a moment. Suddenly, his hand returned to normal, dropping to his side. "Sorry, Danny. You're right. I shouldn't beat up those weaker than me."

"Come on," I called, picking up my uneaten sandwich. "Let's go."

I walked away from the shocked A-Listers, leading my friends away from the cafeteria. When we were outside, nobody around at all from the insane cold temperatures, I walked over to a table. I formed a rectangle with my ecto-energy, pushing the snow that had compacted on the tabletop like a blade from a snow plow. I hopped up on the table, allowing my friends to gather around me. My near two hundred degree temperature was enough to keep them warm, even in the cold.

"Our personal space heater," Sam chuckled, leaning against my chest. She sat there, her coat wrapped around her waist. Tucker sat close to me but wasn't lying against me, his long sleeved shirt aiding in keeping him warm. I wrapped my arms around Sam's shoulders, giving her extra heat to combat against her short sleeves.

"You should really wear longer sleeves in the winter time," I commented, wrapping myself around her small form.

"I hate anything on my arms," she commented. "Except you," she added, the smile visible in her voice.

"Lovebirds," Tucker joked, earning a glare from both Sam and I.

"We're not lovebirds," we objected together. I swear I hate that saying. We are not a bunch of birds!

"Deny it all you want. I know the truth," Tucker joked, his eyes displaying his mischievous nature. I shot him a glare, warning him to keep our conversations private.

XXX

When the bell rang, ending lunch, I lifted Sam and myself into the air as Tucker climbed off the table. I landed her softly on the ground, landing right behind her. I kept my arm draped over her shoulder, keeping her warm until we reached inside. Tucker rushed to catch up to us, me too far away for him to feel my heat. He rubbed his hands together as he entered into the heat.

We walked through the doors, heading for the gym. Oh, how I hate this class! The only good that comes from it is the fact that we have it together. There are too many classes in my opinion where they leave my side. I dropped my hand from Sam's shoulder, satisfied that she's warm now from the heat of the school. We walked into the gymnasium, Sam heading for the girls' locker room and Tuck and I heading for the men's.

Tuck and I got dressed rather quickly but looking at Tucker's horrified expression, I knew something was wrong. "It's the leg, isn't it?" I had the sweater on that covered my arm and the chest wounds but my shorts didn't quite cover it."

"You can't go out there like that," Tucker cried, horrified. "You need to wear sweat pants."

"Cover for me," I said quietly as I turned invisible. Tucker nodded as I blasted out of the school and flew to the mall. I turned visible once again and proceeded to buy a pair of sweat pants. Hopefully, Mrs. Tetslaff wouldn't give me a hard time.

I was back in the gym before the bell rang, considering the mall was quite empty for the time of day. I slipped on the pants over the shorts and ran to the court before the bell rang. Luckily for me, many of the students had pants on in the gym. It was cold after all and the gym has always been the coldest building in the school.

"Leg," Sam mouthed to me. She meant for it to have no sound but I could still detect the softest whisper.

I nodded my head, waiting for Mrs. Tetslaff to start the class. Mrs. Tetslaff came onto the court and began to take roll. After she finished, she called out Dash and Paulina's names. "Form two teams. We're playing dodge ball!"

As usual, even the geeks got called before we did but Paulina drew the short stick so to speak. We three were on her team, making Sam simmer. "Can I just," Sam started, faking to throw the ball towards Paulina's head, "Oops."

"No," I smiled, knowing she was trying to make this into a joke. I don't believe she would pass up the opportunity if I gave her an inch, though. "But we can do something else. Most of the snobs are on the other team. Don't hold anything back. But, please, leave Dash to me."

"I don't believe you'll have any problems there," Tucker smirked. "He's been staring at you since class began."

"I know. Tommy will target you, Tuck," I warned. "Get him."

"You got it," Tucker smiled evilly.

Mrs. Tetslaff blew the whistle, starting the game. I didn't need to keep my eye on everyone, my instincts telling me everything I needed to know. I was built for battle and since the accident, I've just become a machine. I watched Sam and Tucker, causing Dash to believe now was the right time to take me out. He made it easier for me as he called out one of his random nicknames for me.

I lifted my hand, never taking my eyes off of Sam and Tucker as I watched them prepare for the blood bath we were about to commence. I caught the ball, instantly disqualifying him. I heard Mrs. Tetslaff cry, "Out!" As I half-heartedly threw the ball into the opposing crowd. Chris yelped loudly, slamming into the wall. Oops.

"Out," Mrs. Tetslaff called again. "Catch failed!"

"Ow," Chris walked slowly over to the bleachers. "I swore I could catch that. He wasn't even trying," he tried to explain.

"Did you see that," Dash cried. "Fenturd didn't even look at the ball and he caught it—single handedly.

I smirked, watching Sam catch a ball aimed at her. Mrs. Tetslaff cried out again, sending Annie Ford to the bleachers. I looked at Tucker, him having too much fun. He was moving side to side, escaping Tommy's aim every time. I looked around our team and not a single one was out yet. On the opposing team, half of theirs was out.

Tucker picked up two balls and placed it at his feet, picking up another ball. "Are you ready," he called to us. I picked up a ball, smiling as Sam followed suit.

"Oh, yeah," I called as Sam just smiled.

"Let's make them really fear us," Sam called out, finally speaking up.

We three rearing our balls back, Sam and Tucker throwing their weapons as hard as possible. I didn't want to kill anyone so I gently threw mine, the force still powerful. Tucker hit Tommy in the first try, going after Willow, Heather and Will. Sam shot at Nick, Mia, Brittany and caught the ball that Valerie threw. She used the extra ball to hit Kwan, who had tried to stay out of the way.

With my two balls, I shot out Randy and Tiffanie. The last one still standing on the court was Hannah Derrickson. She would be a problem, she always is, considering she is one of the best athletes around.

Tucker took aim first, Hannah ducking out of the line of fire. She knew she couldn't catch the ball for how fast it was going so her only choice was to duck. Sam took aim next, Hannah running out of the way. She had seen how all her teammates had underestimated us and were now on the bleachers. She was waiting for a weakness.

I decided to give her one. I shot my ball at her, much quicker than my others. Hannah slid out of the way, the ball flying through her up-blown hair. She jumped up to her feet from her knees, her eyes wide. I kicked another ball to my hand, throwing this one slightly less powerful. I threw every ball we had on our side to her side, her now having plenty of ammo. She ignored Sam, Tuck and I, focusing on our other teammates. She knew if she threw it to us, it was over. She knocked out Star, Ashley and Mikey. Nathan threw the ball to me, begging me, "Get her, Danny!"

"She's not going out because of one of us," I commented. "She'll take herself out."

I threw the ball again, allowing it to bounce against the wall. I threw the second ball, going over her head. I wanted her to make all the moves. She wouldn't screw up easily. I had to make her comfortable.

"Unless you want to go out, listen to me," I called. I watched Hannah with my side vision and allowed my instincts to kick in. Hannah was shooting the people she viewed as threats first, but not the ones who would knock her out like Sam, Tuck or I. I called to Lester, telling him to duck to the right. He barely moved before the ball slammed past right where he was standing. Hannah gave off a small grunt, knowing this wasn't going to be easy.

The ones who listened, lived; so to speak. Those who ignored me, walked away in shock as they realized I had been correct in my predictions. I never made my call after she threw. It would be too easy for them to make a mistake. I looked at our group, Travis being the next to be targeted. "Travis," I called, Hannah rearing the ball back. "Move to the left, towards Kelly."

Travis ran to the front, the ball flying right where he stood. Very few of them doubted me now. I was spot on, a perfect record on predicting her moves. Hannah screamed in range as yet another one of her marks stayed perfectly safe. Every one of the 'fallen' students sat on the edge of the bleachers, watching this remarkable game. Hannah was good. I would love to have her as one of my ghost hunters!

When all the balls fell on our side, I instructed everyone to throw them around her, not in her grasp. As my team lead the harmless onslaught, I talked to Tucker. "Hey, Tuck, remove your beret and slowly make your way over there beside Devon. Tell Devon I want him to come over here and put on your beret. We're playing dirty, but it'll win us the game. When she makes her move, catch it. I'll call out now when I'm talking to you."

Tucker smiled evilly, "Got it!"

Tucker removed his beret, slipping into the five or six students plus us three that remained in the game. Slowly, Devon introduced himself into our circle, wearing Tucker's beret.

"What are we exactly doing, Danny," Devon asked, as if I was putting into action the stupidest plan ever.

"Hannah will mistake Tucker for you," I explained. You're similar height, weight, build and she will think you're Tucker with that beret on. The court is too wide for her to see correctly and she won't risk coming to the middle line. When she feels that you pose more of a threat, she'll throw the ball at Tucker and I will give him the code. He will catch it and Team Sanchez will win."

Devon smiled wickedly, "Dweeb, I never knew you had an evil streak in you! Nice going!"

"Don't congratulate me yet," I smirked. I knew it would work but I have terrible luck.

I instructed each student to do what would keep them safe and when the balls all landed on our side, we aimed either too high or too far away for her to catch them. I never threw the ball once. I was waiting for Hannah to make the mistake. She would trust her eyes more than her gut. She would never speculate that Devon could be that much of a threat. Plus, with me instructing them out of the way, she would be careless. She wouldn't see it coming!

The time kept dragging closer to the bell. I was starting to get worried, thinking maybe she'd pull our trick on us. She was dragging it out, a tie better than a victory on our side. If she could drag it to the bell, the game would be a tie. It wouldn't matter if she was the last one standing. She would still win the spoils of victory. However, that competitive streak in her wouldn't let go, her shaping up to take out 'Devon.'

"Now," I cried. She released the ball, too late to curb her plan. I could see Hannah's eyes widen as she wondered what I meant. Tucker caught the ball spot on.

"Out," Mrs. Tetslaff cried happily. "Team Fenton wins!"

I snapped up, confused. My teammates started cheering, Tucker running back over. He got multiple pats on the back, his grin broad as daylight. Devon removed the cap, taking Tucker's free hand in his. "Good job, Techno-Geek!" He passed him his beret, moving away from the circle.

"No," Tucker said, looking at me. "Great job, Danny!"

"This wasn't my team," I cried. "I was picked last!"

"Maybe," Mrs. Tetslaff called, slapping her hand on my back, "But you kicked Team Baxter's hinny."

Mrs. Tetslaff walked over to the group, "Well done, class. I only wished I had recorded it. This may be the best game of Dodge Ball in Casper High history!"

I walked over to Hannah, her jaw hanging open. She was no doubt going over the last move in her head.

I held my hand out, "Well done! You are a worthy opponent!"

"How," Hannah cried, looking up in my eyes. "That was Devon! Then he turned into Tucker. I don't get it."

"You trusted your eyes too much," I stated. "Just because Tucker is the only one who wears a beret doesn't mean that you should get complacent in identifying him with it."

"Wow," Hannah said, startled. "I thought for sure I could drag it on. I didn't expect him to catch it. I thought for sure you would tell him to dodge it. Well played, play master."

"It wouldn't have been any fun without you. You made me strategize a lot," I remarked. "You know, if you're ever looking for a challenge, you should seek me out. I could hook you up with a sport you would find truly rewarding."

"Oh, really," Hannah smiled at me. "And what sport would that be?"

"Ghost hunting," I commented. "It's not the real thing, not like what my parents do. Kids our age can't patrol. It would all be simulated. But it would push you to your limits. Maybe even make you even more of a challenge to me."

"How do you hunt simulated ghosts," Hannah asked me, confused.

"Maybe I'll bring in a program one day," I stated. "Let my school into a small sample of my secret life."

"I would sure enjoy that," Hannah commented. "Of all the people I was summing up at the beginning of the game, you and your friends were not on my high list of priorities. I'm glad you weren't, to be honest. I would have been out a long time ago. That's what killed most of them. Underestimating you early in the game."

"Underestimating your opponent will always bring about bad results," I said with a smile. "Even I underestimate my opponents sometimes, though. It's easily done and nearly impossible to curb."

"Well, you didn't underestimate me. You had me spot on," Hannah smiled up at me, her eyes conceding. "Good game!"

"Good game," I remarked, shaking her outstretched hand. I walked away and back to my friends.

"That was awesome," Sam cried. "I love watching the real you come out at school."

"Dash pissed me off," I said simply. "This won't resurface too often."

"I bet we won't get picked last again," Tucker cried.

"I don't know," I commented, waiting for Mrs. Tetslaff to finish her second roll. "We're still Dweebs."

"Head to the showers," Mrs. Tetslaff cried. Sam headed one way while Tuck and I went into the locker room, feeling victorious.

XXX

Seventh period was Home Ec. with Sam and Tucker while Eight period was music, Sam and Tucker having Art at that time. When Sam and Tucker were there, it was easier to get through the classes but when I was alone, it was unbearable. I knew I wasn't the only one who feels that way. That was one of the biggest shocks of ninth grade (except for the one that is a pun). For eight years Tuck and I had shared every class and six for all three of us but ninth grade had put an end to that.

School let out and I made my way to Mr. Lancer's classroom. Sam and Tucker usually accompany me for detention though they have no reason to. Mr. Lancer doesn't seem to mind, long ago giving up keeping them out of the classroom.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Lancer," I greeted him, placing my books on a desk.

"Good afternoon," Mr. Lancer returned my greeting. "Have you been studying for the finals tomorrow?"

"Not really," I admitted. "I've been busy."

"Uh huh," Mr. Lancer stated, not having the ability to fathom the pressures I've been under. "Why don't you take the time today to study them while you're here?"

"It's English," I stated, not getting the point. "How do you study for English? I need to review my Science study guide and go over the key points from History… and uh, I have to memorize all the instruments for Music and then there's Home Economics. I need more hours between four and six!"

"That's all the time you allow yourself to study," Mr. Lancer asked me. Sam and Tucker walked into the classroom. "Good afternoon, Mr. Foley, Miss Manson."

"Good afternoon," Sam greeted.

"Hey," Tucker said informally.

"Are you guys ready for the finals," I said, holding up my Science study guide.

"No," Tucker remarked.

"We'll do fine," Sam commented. She took a seat beside me, pulling out her own study guide from science. "You want to go over the chemistry review?"

"Not me," I commented. "My parents are scientist. I know the chemicals, probably better than the people who wrote this book. They don't have a dad who may accidently put gallium in the refrigerator."

"What one is gallium again," Tucker asked, confused.

"Metal element. Used in lasers. My parents have plenty of it," I commented.

Sam shuffled through her backpack, "Okay, how about… History?"

"Ugh," I groaned. "I don't want to go to sleep this early. How about you guys work on what you need to and I'll study on my Music test."

"Okay," Sam said slowly. I pulled out the study sheet from my Music class and began to go over everything. I could see Tucker playing on his PDA, not even bothering to hide the gadget or pretend to study. I guess he had no reason to hide. School was technically over.

When Mr. Lancer released me from detention, I began walking home with Sam and Tucker. Tuck was bundled up in a heavy coat while Sam still stubbornly denied she was cold. Seeing her shivers despite her effort to withhold them, I finally pulled her closer to me, wrapping her in my heat.

"Thank you," Sam said, burying her head in my chest. It caused her to walk awkwardly, but she refused to leave the contour of my body. I helped guide her to keep her safe. Tucker smirked over in our direction but I didn't let his chiding affect me.

When we walked through my door, Sam finally erected herself to the proper position. "Thanks, Danny," Sam replied again.

I blushed, "Really, the pleasure was mine."

Sam looked away, darting up the steps. Tuck and I followed her upstairs, Sam sitting down on my bed. Tucker took a seat in my computer chair while I sat down on my bed across from Sam. Tucker turned towards the computer, pulling his backpack over his shoulder and into his lap.

Sam removed her own book bag, removing her study guides, "If we plan on passing this semester, we need to work diligently to pass these tests. Especially you, Danny. With the constant ghost senses, you have a high risk of failing this semester."

I groaned, admitting, "I know! But I don't know where I'm going to find the time to invest into this."

"Danny, it's only for two days. This is essential for your grades. You need to forget about the nuisance ghosts and focus on your school work. Any big bad can be dealt with, but for once let the Box Ghost have his boxes!"

"They may not pose a threat to us, but they still terrify the citizens," I objected. "I can't just neglect my work because I may fail a grade!"

"Danny," Sam objected.

"No, Sam, I'm sorry. I get what you're saying, I do, but I have other obligations. I will work hard on this but I will not neglect my other priorities."

Sam sighed, resigning, as she pulled out the History study guide. "No weaseling out of this, now. We're going to go over this!"

I resigned as well. I glanced over at Tucker, seeing him downloading something on my computer. I ignored him, trying to focus on Sam and studying. However, I've never been a very good student. I kept taking my eyes off of Sam and watching Tucker intently. He had installed some kind of game on my computer, and he was creating an account.

FRYER_TUCK

"Hey, what's that," I asked, focusing on what he was doing.

"It's this cool new game," Tucker said, turning towards me. "It's a computer game that when you win, you gain access to the worldwide web, even if you don't have internet access."

"Cool," I called, watching him go back to downloading it. "What is it about?"

"You face different foes, collecting seven keys. It's really challenging. I'm downloading it on your computer so we can play later. I was thinking while you're waiting for the late shift?"

"I see no harm in that," I commented. I heard Sam cough. "Okay, okay." We got back to studying.

XXX

That night, I returned home from patrolling, late for curfew as always. I ran up the stairs, starting up the game Tucker had downloaded on my computer. I have been dying to try this game all evening. I stared at the computer, taping the plastic on my keyboard as I wondered what I would call my avatar.

GHOST_BOY

I designed my character up, making him look nearly identical to me in human form and designed a D on his chest. I've always imagined what my HAZMAT suit would look like had I had on some kind of insignia. I started up the game, Tucker already playing on his own. This game was quite advanced, having multiple players on the screen even though it could be played without Internet access. It's like something my parents would invent!

GHOST_BOY: Hey, Tuck. Any luck?

FRYER_TUCK: Hey! Not so far. I was hoping my best bud could get the edge.

GHOST_BOY: We'll try.

The other players were way too easy to expunge but the game itself was most challenging. Tuck and I chatted while I tried to find a way to out maneuver the game. Tucker had a lot of cool tricks to help us out of some sticky situations but nothing too fancy. We still got our butts handed to us. However, as the night wore on, one player stood out. His avatar was bad ass, dressed to kill no doubt. His name said it all: CHAOS. And that's exactly what he was when it came to our game.

CHAOS turned out to be quite the player, coming onto the scene unknown but wiping the floor with all of us. I looked at the clock and it read three am. As much as I wanted to continue on, I knew Tuck and I needed some sleep. Tucker was still human after all.

GHOST_BOY: We have a big day, tomorrow, Tuck. U can stay up if u want but I suggest u get some sleep. I need to do a sweep before I turn in. 'Night.

FRYER_TUCK: U want me to tag along?

GHOST_BOY: Don't u dare. C u tomorrow.

FRYER_TUCK: Goodnight!

I signed off of the account, leaving Tucker to do what he wanted. I triggered my rings, floating outside through my window. Just one sweep, I told myself. Then I'd return to go to sleep.

XXX

The next day at school was pretty normal. Mrs. Baker asked me again if I was still thinking about her offer. I mulled it over, but that small voice in my head kept telling me I should do everything I could to help out. With a heavy heart and a nausea no one could rival, I accepted her offer. However, I did tell her that sometimes I had to run out of the class unexpectedly and she would have to carry the class on without me. She seemed to accept this, though I could detect her curiosity as to why that was.

I returned home after school, heading up to my room. I signed into DOOMED, ready to try to tackle the game. Tuck was already logged in, trying to come up with a strategy. CHAOS was not signed in as far as I could tell.

XXX

FRYER_TUCK: R we going out 2nite?

I looked over at the clock, surprised to see it was after six. Wow, I had really lost time.

GHOST_BOY: I don't think so. I haven't got any senses lately and if I do, I'll let u know. They usually don't get out of the portal w/o me knowing.

FRYER_TUCK: Sam would kill u 2 know u r blowing off patrolling 4 gaming and not 4 studying.

GHOST_BOY: ha, ha. Actually, she probably would.

FRYER_TUCK: Oh, well. Hopefully, CHAOS will show his face soon.

GHOST_BOY: I don't know I'd want that or not. We're leading as of right now. When he shows back up, we'll be 2nd and 3rd.

FRYER_TUCK: I've got a trick up my sleeve!

GHOST_BOY: We'll see.

My cell phone rang and I figured it was Sam. I picked it up, answering, "Hey."

"Are we going out or not," Sam asked me, her voice calm.

"Not today," I answered. "I lost track of time. If a ghost comes through the portal, I'll know it. I'll call you if I need you. Chill for tonight. You deserve it."

"All right," Sam said, a little weary. "Try to spend some time studying."

"I will," I replied. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

I got my first ghost sense around seven-thirty. I typed a quick note to Tuck, going after it. It turned out to just be Box Ghost and I sucked him into the thermos. With my parents upstairs, eating dinner, I decided to download the game on the computer downstairs. Maybe the Fenton Reality Helmet could give me an edge.

I signed in, greeting Tucker. I tried to get ahead in the game but CHAOS had signed in while I was dealing with the Box Ghost. I tried to make up for the loss ground, but it was no good. CHAOS had taken the lead, Tucker the runner up. It wouldn't be long, though, before I exceeded Tucker's score. He only got ahead of me because of my little distraction.

XXX

I groaned out for what must have been the twelfth time, removing the helmet. I cursed the darn thing, throwing it as hard as I could. It had slicked my hair down, looking worse than it did when I went to Grandpa's. I heard a beeping sound, causing me to turn in that direction. I was surprised and startled to see the portal door opening. How did that happen? I locked it!

Technus flew from the Ghost Zone, laughing in his obnoxious way. "Child! You have freed me. Technus! And now, I will conquer this world!"

I stared at him, a mixture of shock and annoyance. Just great. First I get my butt handed to me in DOOMED and now I have to face Technus. He floated over to where I was, looking at my computer.

"Although, this world seems more fun. And it's fashion sense is much more advanced," he commented, staring at CHAOS on my screen.

"Oh, no you don't," I called, snapping out of the stupor he had put me in. He always did that to me when he started his crap.

However, I didn't expect him to wrap me in some enormous motherboard chip. The shock shot through my body, the volts causing me to convulse. I screamed out at first, but the pain subsided. I fought against the bonds but I was completely wrapped up. An electric current traveled from my body into the lab's computer, shattering the screen.

"Well, that stinks," Technus called, dissolving the wrap. I landed in the floor, looking up a bit dazed. "Oh, well, see you, Ghost Child!"

Technus turned intangible and escaped the lab. "Great. It's not bad enough I'm getting zapped in DOOMED, now I'm getting zapped at home. I'll have to deal with it tomorrow," I said. Suddenly, it hit me. I have been up a long time, trying to defeat the game. I frighteningly looked at the clock, the display reading 5:30 am. "It is tomorrow! I've been up all night!" I cried. "Oh, well, one lame ghost freed and one sleepy day at school, what's the worst that could happen?"

I showered, my hair going from hat hair to sticking up from the shock and back to normal after I dried it. Well, at least my hair was better! I grabbed a bowl of Froot Loops and afterwards walked to Sam's house, deciding to walk to school. Maybe the cold air would wake me up. After picking up Sam, we walked to Tucker's. I stayed close to Sam, keeping her warm as she walked without her jacket on.

When we arrived at the school, the entire school was preparing for the finals taking place over the next two days. Second, Fourth, Sixth and eighth periods had tests scheduled today while First, Third, Fifth and Seventh were planned for tomorrow. First period was easy because it was spent reviewing for tomorrow's test but when I went to Mr. Lancer's classroom for our second period, he told his English class to wait for him.

Sam and Tucker walked into the class because they had the History class held here. Mr. Lancer lead his English class to the Math room where he told us to take a seat. I sat down as Mr. Lancer began to go over all the rules. After a few moments of his droning, he handed out the tests.

I stared at the sheet, the words blurring. I hated English. All it did was drone on and on about something, in these big and descriptive words. It was boring. I yawned, trying to shake the sleepy feeling. I tried stretching, but it did little to wake me up. The words continued to blur, making it difficult to concentrate. I felt my eye lids drooping. I shook my head, trying to maintain control. However, I felt myself slipping.

XXX

I jolted awake, not even aware I had fell asleep. Mr. Lancer held up my test, a look of sarcasm crossing his face. "Oh, the joys of teaching." Oh, shit, I thought to myself. The bell rang and I stood up shakily. "A word Danny?"

"Yes, Mr. Lancer," I replied, sleepily. I shouldn't have stayed up so late last night.

"Danny, when a teacher looks at his students, he sees a reflection of his own ability. When I see you, I see my own F. I don't like to fail. Do you?"

"Mr. Lancer," I tried to come up with a plausible explanation but I stuttered over my own words. There was no excuse for this, even one I couldn't tell him.

"I need no excuses," Mr. Lancer cut my babbling off. "I need results! Now, what I'm going to do is make you retake the test!"

"But, it's just one stupid test," I exclaimed, appalled.

"That equals one-quarter of your final grade," Mr. Lancer explained. I blinked in understanding. This was bad. "That's 25 percent in case you're failing Math as well."

Okay, Vlad, I thought bitterly. I may be failing Math but I know what a quarter is. I nodded my head, collecting my things. For wanting to take on more responsibility, I sure have got off to a bad start. I walked out of the room, trailing slowly to third period. Why is it I stayed awake for the stupid review but fell asleep on the test the next period?

Oh, I hate English!

My next test was History, and Sam and Tucker were lead probably to another classroom. I hoped I wouldn't fall asleep on this test too. I felt better, having gotten over the sleepiness I was feeling earlier in the day. The substitute handed out the test and I began to read over it. I can do this!

In gym, Mrs. Tetslaff gave a physical test for our semester final. I hated the physical contests. I had a much higher physical withstanding, the ability to pass everyone too easy to risk. I considerably held back my talents, hoping no one would notice the lackluster attitude I had. I've always held back, but more recently I've increased my 'clumsiness' and withheld my natural born talents. Since the accident, I haven't had a clumsy moment or a problem with my physical abilities.

Music was the last test of the day and I was grateful. I'd have to hit the streets tonight to search for Technus, so my mind would be elsewhere. This test would be a bit challenging since Music is an elective and the test would require me to remember all the instruments. With all the hassles my life has brought, electives just didn't seem important at the time.

Detention was awkward being as I had it with Mr. Lancer. I hadn't told Sam and Tucker about me falling asleep in class and not completing the test. When Sam and Tucker came in the room, I wanted to die before the embarrassment Mr. Lancer would put me through would do it for me.

I waited for that unenviable conversation. Mr. Lancer wouldn't just let it slide. Every teacher in this building had it out for me although I do believe that Mrs. Baker's attack was less about me than it was about helping students. I might exclude her from the list.

"Okay, Mr. Fenton, you're released," Mr. Lancer called at the end of detention. I sighed a breath of relief, happy to escape before he nailed it to me. "Don't forget to study. You will retake that test Friday."

I flinched. So close. So damn close! I turned to Sam and Tucker, their faces displaying confusion. I glanced up at Mr. Lancer with my side vision, his face smug. Oh, I should ecto-ray your ass.

"What's he talking about," Sam asked. "Didn't you take the test?"

I coughed, "I- um," I started, trying to find an easy way to break it. "I fell asleep," I blurted out, realizing there was no easy way.

"Oh, no," Sam breathed.

I walked out the door, "I was stupid! I stayed up all night last night, and when I stared at that sheet… I just lost it. I couldn't focus my eyes. I couldn't hold my head up. I couldn't go more than two seconds without yawning. It wasn't just the lack of sleep; it was English. I get sleepy reading that stuff even when I've had plenty of sleep!"

"And we weren't there to wake you up," Tucker said, looking down.

"Hey," I said gently, "It's not you guys jobs to make sure I do my work. You stayed up all night too, Tucker."

"Yeah, but I had Sam to keep me company. You had nobody," Tucker said, sadly. "Stupid Lancer! You didn't fall asleep on the history test, did you?"

"No," I commented, "It was just because it was English, I think. I didn't have any more trouble."

"I'm so sorry, Danny," Sam said, her eyes wide and horrorstricken.

"Don't be," I commented, giving her a small smile. "I'll muddle through."

After I took Sam and Tucker to grab a bite to eat from Nasty Burger, I lead them back to our houses to get their scooters. We needed to find Technus and put him back in the Ghost Zone before he wracked too much chaos. I went as my ghost form, considering I may have to engage in battle. We three split up but Tucker was already chatting about DOOMED through the Fentonfones.

Sam wasn't too interested in the game, and considering she's a girl I didn't blame her. She probably didn't understand half of what we were saying, choosing to ignore us. However, she was the one to find Technus. Tuck and I caught up to her, watching Technus building another body for himself in the park. His new body was big like the last time but completely unoriginal.

"He saw me playing DOOMED yesterday and now he's modeling his new body after CHAOS," I said, surprised. Tucker made some kind of snide remark about my gaming skills but we decided if he was going to enter that world, he'd face challenges from that world.

It didn't work out too well.

After I added my ghost powers to the mix, though, he found us difficult to face. He self-destructed, forfeiting from the game. I don't care if he gave up or not, he's gone and I'm still here. Tucker and I grew excited. More time to play.

With my computer in the lab destroyed, Tuck and I decided to go to the Internet Café so we could play side by side. We were trying to put our joint effort in to beat the game considering CHAOS was nowhere to be seen. We discovered a few new tricks and tips but was still a far cry from beating the game. No wonder the prize is so extraordinary. A high score on a game board just wouldn't be worth it!

I discovered a new way to earn an extra life, including Tucker in my newfound ability. I heard Sam's voice broadcast about needing that extra life when Mr. Lancer caches me anywhere with my nose out of a book.

"What are you doing here," Tucker asked, surprised. "You can't be here to play!"

"And why not," Sam shot back, "Us girls are lacking exactly what? Opposable thumbs? One track minds? Stupid berets?"

Tucker took offense on the last statement and I knew that the bickering was back on for now. It has cooled down considerably since Christmas but every once and a while, it would resurface. But there was one thing I couldn't deny.

"Sam's right," I groaned. "I should be studying. Tuck?"

"I'll stick to goofing off," Tucker answered, pausing to look at me.

I chuckled, "Could you imagine Lancer's face if he caught me in here?"

"Yes, imagine that," I heard a voice broadcast from behind me. Why? What have I done to the universe to deserve this?

"Hi, Mr. Lancer," I said nervously, turning to face him.

"Let me give you a lift so you can get back to studying. I wouldn't want you to lose track of time again," Mr. Lancer said, sarcasm in his voice. I sighed.

Mr. Lancer lead me to his car, taking me home. I was completely upset. This happens every time! I can't just be in trouble. No, I have to be in over my head and suffocating from the pressure. This is all Vlad's fault. If he would return from his trip, then I'd have an excuse for goofing off!

Mr. Lancer started babbling about something about human drama and comparing it to a videogame. He wanted me to see I was wasting my time.

"I just want to have some fun sometimes," I stated, crossing my arms across my chest. "I've been under so much stress lately. I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"Fun can mean other things," Mr. Lancer began, not getting what I meant. "Like for me, when a student passes through the portals of Casper High learning everything he can… that, to me, is fun."

I scoffed, "Then you need to get out more!"

"And you need to stay in more," Mr. Lancer remarked, his voice showing enthusiasm, "And here are a couple of people who will help you do just that."

Standing on the sidewalk in front of my house, arms crossed across their chests, stood my parents—angry as hell. I gulped: "My parents! You called them!"

"Yes, I did. How do you think I knew you would be at the Internet Café."

"You called my parents before you found me," I shot back. I gingerly removed my seatbelt, climbing out of the car. This wasn't going to be good.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Fenton," Mr. Lancer greeted, getting out of the car.

"Hello, Mr. Lancer," my mom greeted, her voice anything but cheery.

"May I come in and have a word with you about Danny," Mr. Lancer asked. Oh, God, I hate my life.

"Please," Dad said, his voice mirroring Mom's.

Mom and Dad led Lancer into the house, me bringing in the rear. This just keeps getting better and better. Once inside, I saw Jazz standing by the stairwell. She came to stand beside me, the only one seemingly on my side.

"What's going on," Jazz asked, eyeing the adults suspiciously.

"Your brother is in a lot of trouble," Mom said, her voice cold towards me.

"I-I'm sorry," I said, my voice weak.

"Well, what did he do," Jazz said, placing her hand on my shoulder.

"He failed a test," Dad shot back to Jazz. Jazz shot a glare at Dad.

"That's it? Danny," she said, much calmer when she spoke to me, "What happened?"

"I was up pretty late last night and I couldn't keep my eyes open for the damn test," I said, looking down. "I know it wasn't because I was too tired. I stayed awake for the rest of my classes. It's just that when I was looking at the text, I couldn't focus. I've never been good at literature anyway!"

"It's more than just a test or a few assignments. Mr. Fenton has considerably faltered in his studies as of lately. He constantly runs out of class, sometimes not returning at all. He skips classes altogether. He comes in late. And when he is there, he is lazy, unfocused, ill prepared, lethargic; need I go on?"

I looked up to my parents', my Dad the most angry. "Dad, I can-," I tried.

"That'll be enough of your sass talk," Dad shot back.

"What do you suggest we do, Mr. Lancer," Mom asked.

"Danny can pass, I know it. I propose he stay with me during his after-school hours until he makes up the test," Mr. Lancer said.

I gulped, "But I have things to do after class!" However, Jazz commented the same sentence. Confused, I turned to her, "How do you know that?"

Jazz gave me a weak shrug, making me even more confused… and a little suspicious. "Aw," Mr. lancer interrupted my thought train, "but if you fail you will have to take it again. If you think it's boring the first time around, try taking it again."

I sighed, but Mom cut in again, "Get this straight, young man. You're a Fenton and Fenton's get A's. Or B-minus's in your Father's case."

"Solid B-minus's," Dad said, proudly.

"Until you retake this test, and pass it with flying colors, we are forbidding all access to electronic devices. Am I clear," Mom stated, angrily.

I nodded, but as if by a cruel twist in fate, my cell phone rang. I tried to keep it in my pocket, but Mom held her hand out. I reached my hand in my pocket, glancing at the ID as I passed it over. "It's Tucker," I tried to get her to allow me to answer it.

Before Mom could take it, Dad grabbed it, crushing it in his anger, "He's busy!"

"Hey," I cried, upset. Oh, great, my second phone gone in one month.

"Daniel," Dad said, scolding.

"You didn't have to destroy it," I shot back. "That's the second phone I've lost!"

"We'll make you a new one," Mom said, her voice calmer.

"It won't make up for the time I'll go without a phone," I mumbled under my breath.

"I'll see you after school tomorrow, Danny," Mr. Lancer remarked. I glared at him out of the corner of my eye.

"Don't I always, anyway," I said, my voice sarcastic.

"Danny," Mom scolded.

"I'm sorry," I said, starting up the stairs. "Actually, no I'm not!" I stopped, "If any of you had any idea what it was like, you wouldn't even blink! Oh, never mind! It's not like you care!"

I shot up the stairs, jumping three to four at a time. I slammed my door, turning on the silent proof walls. I let out a loud scream, releasing all the pent up anger I had. Just one time I tried to have a little fun. I haven't taken a moment for myself in so long, I just wanted to have a little fun. But, no, I can't even do that!

I lifted into the air, landing softly on my bed. This won't last much longer. Vlad will return and I will once again be forced to be his bitch while I try to juggle home, school and ghost attacks. I don't even know why it's taking him so long to return. I figured he'd be back a long time ago.

My door opened slowly and my mom walked into the room. I looked up at her, noticing she was alone. "I don't feel like talking," I shot back, covering my head.

"Honey," Mom said softly, sitting down on my bed. "I thought you were over this?"

"How can I be over it," I said, sitting back up on my bed. "I try to push through but I can't. I just wanted to have a little fun. I just wanted to hang out with Tucker and show them how much I care but I can't even do that. I just don't know if it's worth it anymore."

"Honey, what's wrong," Mom asked, placing her hand on my shoulder.

"I have so much pressure. I can't breathe! I don't know where to turn to or who to turn to. The only people I have is Sam and Tucker and I've demanded so much of them lately. How can I expect them to still be my friends if I don't relieve some of the pressure?"

"Honey, you have us," Mom said, looking me in the eyes. She diverted her eyes from mine, fear crossing them.

"What," I asked, a little fearful.

"Honey, how long has it been since you've slept," Mom asked me.

"I told you I didn't get any sleep last night," I told her.

"Danny, those circles didn't form because you missed a night of sleep," Mom commented. "Your eyes, they're sullen and discolored. You've been getting poor sleep quality for a while."

"I'm fine," I commented, looking away from her graze.

"You are not fine," Mom commented, "You're exhausted!"

"I'm fine, okay," I snapped, standing up from my bed. "Just, please," I said, a little calmer, "leave me alone."

I could hear Mom's heartbeat it was so loud. She exhaled loudly, quieting her heartbeat, her footsteps retreating from my room. As the door shut, I fell to my knees, my body shaking from the stress. I wasn't crying, I haven't done that in a while. But I was like an egg with a crack in its shell, trying to be boiled.

XXX

The next day at school, Tucker was telling me all about how Technus had tricked him into believing he was just a random player and he had learned all his tricks. Tucker hadn't meant to mess up and it's not like he could hear his voice or see him up close. He was watching an avatar on a screen and talking through chat boards. I couldn't blame him.

However, they left the fact that Sam was CHAOS until the end of the day. I believe he was just too embarrassed to admit that until it was impossible to ignore anymore. Sam and Tucker assured they could hold off Technus until I could finish my test. I didn't know what we could do once I finished the test. Technus was just playing a game!

"Danny Fenton," Mr. Lancer declared angrily. "My classroom, now!"

"Here goes everything," I commented, looking to them. "Keep him occupied. I'll help as soon as I can."

"You got it," Sam said as Tucker nodded. I followed Mr. Lancer to his classroom.

"Have a seat," Mr. Lancer instructed me.

"I want to take the test today," I told him. "I'll study a bit before but I'm not leaving here until I've retook that test!"

"You don't have to," Mr. Lancer said, looking at me. "You can take all the time you need."

I looked at the clock, "That's the problem," I stated. "I don't have all the time I need."

I sat down, pulling out my study guide. After I reviewed that, I began reading over the text in my book. Soon, I could feel the exhaustion overtake me. I snapped awake, realizing my head was in my desk. I shot up, turning back to my normal self. I looked at Mr. Lancer fearfully. How long has it been since I lost control of my powers? Mr. Lancer was working on something else, not paying attention to me. Thank goodness for that!

I stood up, stretching my back. I looked at Mr. Lancer's desk, taking in what he was doing.

"Going somewhere," Mr. Lancer asked me.

"Just stretching my legs," I commented. Mr. Lancer was writing some kind of letter. 'Dear sis,' was in the top left-hand corner.

"Writing your sister," I asked. I wasn't even aware Mr. Lancer had a sister.

"I haven't seen her in ages," Mr. Lancer said, taking a picture of his sister off his desk. She had an uncanny resemblance to him. "Can't afford the airfare." I sat looking at the picture. That's just him in a dress! "This is where you're supposed to say 'Gee, Mr. Lancer, I had no idea being a teacher could be so difficult.'"

I don't know about difficult, but it can definitely mess with the mind. "I'm fourteen," I commented instead. "I don't care." I'm not stupid. That is just him in a dress!

Mr. Lancer groaned disappointedly, standing up, "I'm going to get some air."

Mr. Lancer left, and I stared after him. "Gotta cross teacher off the what I wanna be when I grow up list." If being a teacher makes you believe a picture of yourself in a dress is your sister, I can't handle two insanities in my life!

I did look around the desk, though, seeing other more realistic pictures. He had pictures of his previous and current students, showing me a man who really cared for his students. I looked at his computer to see if he had any pictures on his background but I saw DOOMED instead. I could check up on Sam and Tucker.

I didn't have time to sign in, so I used whatever Mr. Lancer was on.

USER: Hey, guys, it's Danny.

CHAOS: What are you doing on?

USER: Just checking in? How's it going?

FRYER_TUCK: Technus is quickly learning the game. In a few more hours, he will have mastered it!

USER: Wish I could help. Studying is a drag!

"Is it now," I heard Mr. Lancer's voice. I had been speaking my responses.

"Mr. Lancer," I stuttered, turning to him. "I-I was just," I started but couldn't form a reliable excuse.

"Just taking up my free time," Mr. Lancer shot back. "But if you don't care, why should I?"

Mr. Lancer began to walk out of the room. I sighed. Okay, Fenton, it's time you got to work. I clicked off the web browser, picked up my book from my desk and walked outside.

"It's not that I don't care," I spoke softly. "That was wrong of me to say. It's just… we all have pressures that we must face. And a lot of the time, I don't ask for the help I need. I can't do this alone. Will you help me?"

Mr. Lancer looked up, his expression one of surprise. "I would be honored."

"In _Eye of the Tiger_," I began, opening the book to the poem. "Why does he rhyme 'I' with 'symmetry'."

"The poem was written in the late 1800s," Mr. Lancer explained. "I'm sure there were multiple ways to pronounce that word."

"And it's Blake," I stated, looking into the book to get his first name: "William Blake."

"Yes," Mr. Lancer said, satisfied. "And there are other works that are written in that same style."

"Really, which ones," I asked. Mr. Lancer began to point out the different poem works. We went over everything I could think of, Mr. Lancer helping me along the way. As the time slipped by, I knew that I had to make my move. I had more responsibilities than just this test.

XXX

"Not an idiot," I cried, slamming my test on the kitchen table where my parents' were working. "Gotta go!"

I ran up the stairs to my bedroom as that was the only computer in the house besides Jazz's. I logged in, trying to make my way through all the levels but it was taking too long. Technus was almost to the last level.

FRYER_TUCK: He's using his ghost powers! We can't stop him.

GHOST_BOY: Oh, I'm such an idiot! If Technus can use his powers in the game, why can't I?

I left it at that, standing up and transforming into my ghost form. I was nervous but turned intangible anyway, phasing into the game. Instantly my body became prickled with little pin pricks. Everything seemed so strange. Everything was pixelated. I looked down at myself; my ghost form and my avatar had merged, a D finally on my costume.

"Cool," I spoke. I floated into the air, determined to reach Sam and Tucker's levels. It was fairly easy. "My ghost powers are the ultimate cheat code!"

I reached their level rather quickly, none of them aware that I was there. Technus was babbling on about something (I have long since given up trying to listen) when I cut in, "Of Long Winded Introductions! Do you ever stop talking about yourself?"

"Danny, stop him," Sam cried, seeing more urgency in the matter than I did. I got to work. We three worked together, Sam and Tucker as avatars while I was in the flesh… so to speak. As soon as Technus became vulnerable, Sam and Tucker began hammering him with their own attacks. It wasn't easy but eventually with the help of Sam and a cheat code she knew, we defeated Technus.

Then the unexpected happened. I was thrown from the computer, hitting my wall hard. I looked up, dazed from the surprise. Thank goodness it was my room because those aren't ecto-proof. "Who could have done that," I asked myself, looking around. Whoever just beat us, I'm glad they're just in a game. If that was real-world, I'd be in trouble!

XXX

That night, my ghost sense went off after I dropped Tucker off. I followed the signature far into town, much too far for my ghost sense. The ghost must have come into my range before heading into town. I floated through the wall of the jewelry story, 24K Jewelry, intangible. The jewels were actually floating out of the display boxes.

"And I just thought 'the merchandise is flying off the shelves' was just an expression!" Apparently not, because here it was, flying off the shelves. I shot a beam at the energies I felt, causing their invisibility to falter. What a group of characters these guys were. One was a hulking of a ghost, at least two times bigger than me. The only other male was the exact opposite of his partner in crime, a midget!

Then there were the last two, a lanky young woman and a robed figure. The midget attacked first, landing on my head. I felt my blood boil, "Hey," I cried out angrily, "I'm not a hat person," I said, throwing the thing away from me. Unfortunately for me, he chose to hit a display box instead of flying through the wall like I intended for him to do. Great, the cops will be coming. "Especially if it's a tiny hat person!"

Being temporarily disoriented, I rammed into the body builder. Being so close to him, I was finally able to compare us correctly. I may have been off on that 2-times bigger suggestion, "On second thought, maybe the tiny hat person was better!"

The body builder picked me up like a stick and threw me. The lanky woman stretched around two beams, creating a slingshot that I flew into. I screamed as I couldn't stop myself, flinging back towards the man. However, I hit the floor. I came to my feet, shakily, to see the robed figure disrobe. It turned out to be a woman, her clothing scantily clad, exposing her body to be covered in tattoos. However, they flew off of her body, coming alive.

They swarmed around me, like a pack of birds. I covered my face, backing away. Oh, that's it! I lifted into the air, twirling into a ball as I summoned every ounce of energy in my body. I expelled it towards the tattoos, sending them careening away from me. Once they were expelled, I returned to my former position, floating high above their heads: "You know, it's ghosts like you that give ghosts like me a bad name!"

I heard tires squealing and a siren blaring as it headed straight towards us. The ghosts all turned intangible, phasing out of the building. The jewelry they had gripped in their hands slipped down on top of me. The door burst open, two cops drawing their revolvers on me: "Freeze, Inviso-Bill!"

"Although, it's hard to come up with a worse name than that!" I phased out, leaving the mess behind.

**AN: Please drop me a line about your experience reading my story. The end is approaching. I know you must have a lot of questions. You will get your answers. See you around!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom, Control Freaks or the CD Three Days Grace.**

**AN: This story contains rape and male sex.**

**Chapter 13: Free Will**

I couldn't find the ghosts again, so I returned home. I'd figure this out in the morning. I didn't want another sleepy day at school. Just because I had passed my English exam didn't mean I didn't have other things to worry about. All students were told to report to school, even though this was typically make-up day. With all the work and bad grades we were making because of the ghosts, everyone was to show up.

I phased through my wall to find something on my dresser. I walked over, picking up a CD case. A small note was attached to the case, disrupting my view of the name.

Daniel,

I'll be seeing you soon. I'm almost through here. Sunday, we will have dinner together in Saint Louis. I want you to be dressed appropriately. Until then, here's something I know you wanted. Merry Christmas!

Vlad

"Merry Christmas," I scoffed, removing the note. I gasped. The Three Days Grace CD that I wanted so badly! Mom and Dad had reviewed the CD and deemed it too inappropriate for me. If I went out and bought it, then I was disobeying but if it was a gift, then it was totally fine. This is awesome!

I placed the CD in my stereo, keeping the volume down. This won't make up for all he's done to me but maybe I won't be so bitter with him for this little token. I listened to the first track, nodding my head to the beat as I sat down to do a little homework. After tomorrow, my chances to finish anything more would disappear.

The second track was a song I knew. They had released this single though it didn't do too well. I hadn't given it much thought then because it was about a father and a son, but as I listened to it, 'Just Like You' wasn't about that anymore. It was now Vlad and I. I put the track on repeat, hearing a new side to the song, singing along the second time.

The third track started up after I turned off the repeat. This song was cool, the biggest hit of their career. 'I Hate Everything About You' had done well on the charts but it was also popular around town. Too many didn't understand what it was about, but my heart nearly stopped when I heard the line in a new light.

"Every roommate kept awake by every sigh and scream we make," the lead singer had sung. While the first part was irrelevant, the last part was dead on the money. Vlad done the sighing while I did the screaming. I shivered, placing it on repeat already.

I listened to it again and again, unable to turn it off. I sat on my bed, my knees pulled to my chest as the man unknowingly sang about my life. I couldn't understand it. It was a love song. He even says it, 'I hate everything about you, why do I love you?' I hate everything about Vlad but I do not love him! But… yet that dream reappeared in my mind. In my future, I will fall for him if I'm not careful.

Every line was just like it was written for me. I couldn't explain it. I couldn't understand it. Every word, every syllable, every bit of emotion was mine but they wrote it. I couldn't go to sleep. He'd visit me in my dreams. Soon, he'd be visiting me in the present.

XXX

I dressed, still listening to the song. I hadn't got a wink of sleep, just listening to Track 3 all night long. After the song concluded and before it began again, I opened my stereo, removing the disk. This thing is a keeper. I placed it in its case, wanting to ask Tucker to download it to his PDA so I could hear it anytime. I wanted to hear the rest of the CD but if this keeps up, I won't make it to Track 4.

XXX

I walked into Sam's house, ready to pick her up. "Hey, Sam," I announced. Her parents glared at me, more hatred in their stares than normal.

"Hey, Danny," Sam greeted.

"Guess what," I called, "I got that Three Days Grace CD that you wanted."

"You did," Sam called, happily. "The one with 'Home'! How did you talk your parents into buying it for you?"

"I didn't. It was a gift," I said. I looked to her parents, their stares even colder. "What, have you heard I Hate Everything About You? That cut rocks!"

"I am Freakshow," a voice over the television announced. I looked up, the name sounding familiar. However, I felt myself shift out of control. I stared at the man on the television, his pale skin, his larger than average nose, the staff. Before I could say anything, everything went black.

…

"Will you stop messing with my parents," Sam snapped. I looked around, trying to remember what was going on. How did we get outside? The last thing I remember was talking to her parents. "That's my job!"

Oh, the track. "Sorry, Sam, I must have got a little spacy. I was up pretty late last night." Pretty late; all night. Whatever.

"Just be careful what you say around them," Sam said, her voice kinder now. "They already think I'm on the road to troubled teen-hood."

Sam began walking in a different direction that Tucker's house. "Sam, where are you going? We've got to pick up Tucker?"

"I'm cutting first period to watch the circus come into town," Sam commented. Oh, right, that Goth circus Sam wants us to attend.

Still, it wasn't right. "Sam, you know they said all students were to show up."

"Tucker's got first period free! He's covering for me," Sam said. I mentally scoffed. How is Tucker going to cover for her?

"Okay, well don't blame me when you get caught," I called, watching her disappear down the road. My ghost sense went off, the midget ghost from before causing it. "And speaking of getting caught!"

I jumped up, taking to the top of a truck to rocket after them. After a quick transform, I flew after them but they never once turned back. It was like they were mindless, not caring about anything other than their task at hand. They flew into the train yard but before I could capture what was going on, everything went black.

…

I shook my head, focusing on the ghosts. I phased through a billboard, looking around but a large gathering of people caught my attention. They were all Goths.

"Wow, I've never seen so many Goths in broad daylight before," I said, stunned. Many of them pulled out an umbrella or pulled up hoodies.

"Look at who decided to slum it with the troubled teens," I heard a voice I knew well call up to me. I landed beside Sam.

"What," I called, appalled. "I'm not in trouble."

"Oh, yeah," Sam said, sarcastically. "You're an upstanding citizen!"

I heard loud footsteps clomping towards us and I disappeared from sight, running behind some large drum. I transformed, leaning against it on the other side. I so stood out, white t-shirt… it's not like I could pull off being Goth. But the cops ran right past me, calling me that God awful name: "Get back here, Invisobill!"

I looked over to Sam, her doing the same move as me. We smiled at each other; I was surprised that it even worked. A loud bang sounded, drawing my attention to the direction the crowd had faced. A man in a trench coat walked out, carrying this staff. I looked at it, horrified. I couldn't speak; I couldn't warn Sam. I knew what was going off but I couldn't stop it. Everything started to fade.

…

"Danny," Sam called sharply. "Why'd you do that?"

"Do what," I called, looking around wildly. I noticed black in the corner of my eye and I freaked, looking at my clothes. Luckily, my t-shirt was just painted black, the cloth soaking wet and some white patches sticking out.

"Samantha, Daniel, you are to follow us immediately," Mrs. Manson walked over to us. I stared at her in shock. When did she get here?

"We are calling your parents, Danny," Mr. Manson said, disappointed.

"What happened," I said, turning back to Sam.

"I don't know," Sam shot, pissed. "Why don't you tell me?"

Sam stomped off, following her parents. I followed after them, desperately trying to figure out what was going off. The Manson's took Sam and I to school, Sam not speaking to me once on the ride over. Mom and Dad met us in the principal's office. I couldn't figure out what I supposedly did!

Principal Ishyama gave us detention and Sam's parents forbidding her from seeing me or Tucker. My parents were furious. This is the same week I failed a major test! I'm dead! Then Mr. Lancer lead Tucker into the room, my heart stopping in my chest. He was wearing Sam's skirt and a wig.

Principal Ishyama said it all: "This is so wrong!"

"Oh, my God," I declared in shock.

"Tucker," Mom cried, horrified.

"It didn't work, Sam," Tucker said, shamefully. "Apparently, they could tell the difference." Ya think!

"What on Earth were you trying to do," Dad asked, suppressing a laugh.

"Well, no one pays attention to us. You remember that episode of MASH. Hawkeye wore nothing at all to the Mess Hall and only someone who was new spotted him. The substitute noticed."

"Tucker," Mom cried again. "Honey, Alice will have a heart attack!"

"Please don't call her," Tucker begged. "I just wanted to help Sam! We've been fighting so much lately, I just want to return to the way we were."

"Principal Ishyama, I'll take responsibility for him. You don't need to call his parents. I'm practically his mother as it is," Mom answered.

"As long as he puts on appropriate clothing, that's all I care about," Principal Ishyama stated from behind her hand.

"I brought my own clothes. This was only for first period," Tucker said. I shook my head, unable to hide the smile.

XXX

We returned to first period, the substitute absolutely pissed at Tucker. It wasn't Mrs. Harold for some reason. It was another teacher, someone I hadn't seen before. Maybe she finally got fed up with the ghosts? I took my seat, Sam and Tucker following me.

"Hey, Tuck, do you think you could download something onto your PDAs music system," I whispered.

"Sure," Tucker mouthed, not wanting to risk getting into any more trouble. Tucker pulled his backpack to the desk, removing a laptop Mom and Dad created for him. It was really tiny, so it fit nicely behind the book Sam set up. I reached in my bag, pulling out the Three Days Grace CD and discretely passed it to him. "Cool," Tucker declared in a hushed voice.

"I want to listen to it at lunch," I told him. Tucker nodded, downloading the music.

XXX

When lunchtime arrived, I was so anxious to hear the rest of the CD. I cleared away the snow while Sam set up the compact fridge and Tucker started the music download. Tucker really got into the first track, smiling through the whole song. Even Sam smiled a little at that one but it wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear. How many songs are out there about not lying down and not giving up? Honestly, 'Burn' was just another song that was rewritten and to Sam, that was bad.

"Dude," Tucker called. "If that isn't you, nothing is!"

"What are you talking about," I said as 'Just Like You' started.

"Oh, come on," Tucker called. " 'I'm not always flying, so on the way down I'll watch you burn!' Dude!"

I waved him off, listening to the lyrics of 'Just Like You.' I started beating my foot to the rhythm, really liking this song. I took a drink of soda, losing myself. "You thought you were standing beside me, you were only in my way," I sang, nodding my head, "You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you!"

Sam smiled, "Finding someone in that song?"

"Yeah," I looked up, gusted. "Vlad! I could be cold, I could be ruthless. You know I could be just like you," I added for measure. Tucker beamed, listening to the lyrics. I hummed to the parts I didn't know too well and sung to the ones I did. They were my friends. They didn't mind my off-chorus singing and I didn't mind Tucker's. Sam had a beautiful voice.

We listened to the rest of the song. I wanted to both hear the next song and skip it. I was afraid I'd be too see through.

But I couldn't stop myself. I nodded my head to that guitar intro: "Every time we lay awake, after every hit we take."

They didn't say anything, even Sam and Tucker getting into the song. We silently laughed at Tucker's pitiful attempt to improve his singing, Tucker even laughing at himself. He was getting better, but it was a long road to haul. After he discovered his singing was so bad, it broke a spell, Tucker became determined to learn to sing. At the end of the song, I took another drink. I haven't heard anything beyond this track. I wondered what else was on it.

When that blaring music came on, to the beat of a dying chicken, Sam lit up. This was her song. This is what had her begging for more. She loved 'Home', the song telling the story of her life. She held it in until the chorus.

"No matter how hard I try, you're never satisfied," Sam sang, the lead singer not even able to hold a candle to her beautiful voice. We let her have her moment of glory, giving her the weapon to release her anger and frustration. Today especially, with what happened with her parents.

When track five came on, none of us had ever heard of it. We listened silently, listening to the lyrics. It was a strange song. I couldn't get what he was singing about, but I got loud and clear what the song meant to us. At the end of the track, I looked to Sam and Tucker. Sam's eyes betrayed her the most, the laughter already lost there. Tucker covered his mouth to keep from laughing. We three burst out laughing.

"Oh, my God," Tucker finished up his bout of the funnies.

"That is Amity Park," I said, controlling my laughter.

"I knew the minute the song started," Sam commented. "This thing is hilarious."

"Oh, come on. You so did not know from the beginning of the song," Tucker challenged.

"You two didn't," Sam retorted back. "'At night I hear it creeping, at night I feel it move. I'll never sleep here anymore. I wish you'd never told me, I wish I never knew. It's all because of you.'"

"You got that from hearing it once," I asked Sam.

"He repeats it a lot," Sam deadpanned. "This town is paralyzed at night. And the wishing, they wished they never learned of the existence of ghosts. We couldn't keep the ghosts out—it's all our faults."

Tucker giggled some more while I laughed a little less heartedly. It wasn't their faults, it's mine.

"That was perfect," Tucker coughed out, his giggle fit over.

"Yeah, I've got to admit it was pretty awesome," I commented, smiling softly.

"You're not the only person to blame, you know," Sam commented. I looked up at her, my face displaying how much I hate how much she knows me. "You know me just as well!" I couldn't help to think about Vlad. He needed to read minds to know what others were thinking. When it came to us, we three could read each other like a book. I've just become a harder book to crack.

I didn't really listen to Track six, having too much fun thinking about the track before that. Track seven had a better beat to it but it wasn't so closely related to our lives. Track eight was just plain weird although it did have a good beat. Track nine was another bitter love song, something about drowning while track ten blew Tucker and I away while it infuriated Sam beyond measure.

Track ten, 'Wake Up,' had a verse that said it all: 'I must be running out of luck, 'cause you're just not drunk enough to fuck.' It sent Tucker and I giggling like schoolgirls while it had Sam boiling like a furnace about to blow it's stack. I don't know why that made me so happy, but I enjoyed that line… which prompted Sam to give us a speech about respecting women.

"Why should we respect them," Tucker shot back, "They don't respect us."

"Besides, Sam, it's not like neither one of us will get a girlfriend any time soon," I commented. "We know better. I don't know about Tuck but I think he feels like I do…"

"Run, baby, run," Tucker took the words right out of my mouth. "We're rooting for her. She doesn't need that kind of crap. It's just funny."

Sam seethed but she did calm down a bit. I finally tuned in to the next track, Track eleven, and it made very little sense to me. I'm fourteen. About the only requirement for a good song to me is a good beat. But I did wonder if it was a love song or something else. Oh, well.

The last track made perfect sense. Track twelve, 'Overrated,' could have two different meanings but I couldn't help but think of the one that could relate to everyone in this town. To me, Vlad was overrated but to this town, they would hear the C-crew. Too many of the former C-crew, now adults, are trying to 'butt' into the town's politics. So, to Dash and his crew, hell yes the C-crew's shit would be overrated.

The bell rang, ending lunch, just before the end of the song. We gathered our belongings, rushing to the gym. The song ended just when we came in through the doors, Tucker placing his PDA back in one of his many pockets. I couldn't believe that we could listen to the entire CD during lunch but we could, but only if we pushed time. If we took our time at the beginning of lunch, we lost time for all the tracks.

XXX

When school was over, Sam and Tucker had to report for detention. Sam and I were in trouble for skipping and Tucker… well, Tucker was in trouble for being an idiot. I know we're dweebs and hardly anyone pays attention to us, but they're going to notice when Sam suddenly has darker skin and turns into a boy… even if said boy is wearing a skirt. Oh, hell, Tuck's right. If we didn't have a substitute teacher, he might have gotten away with it.

"I wanted to witness something horrifying and unimaginable," Sam commented, looking at her ticket for the Goth show. "This is not what I had in mind!" Mr. Lancer was clipping his toe nails.

"We could always go tomorrow," I tried to cheer her up.

"If my parents let me within a hundred feet in front of you," Sam scoffed. We smiled, finding that funny. Luckily, the Manson's had completely forgot about us going to the same school.

"And until then," Tucker said, playing his PDA really quietly behind a propped up book, "We can watch the viral videos."

I looked at the screen, wanting to see what the show would be like. On the screen, I saw the man from my pathetic dreams. I willed myself to scream at Tucker to turn it off, but I couldn't. I felt my control slipping away.

…

I'm looking for a friend of mine, a soft voice called. I fought towards it, trying to fight through the swamp I was traveling through. I couldn't figure out how I got here in this swamp or where exactly the swamp was but I had to find that voice. I knew that voice. It was Sam. I pushed myself towards her, she seeming so far away.

I kept trekking, but she never seemed to get closer. "Sam," I called out as loud as I could, trying to get her attention.

"What's that? Is that free will," a man's voice spoke. I felt a sharp pain impale my insides. _He is your master! Obey him_! No, I'm no one's puppet. Leave me alone. "Obey me, minion!"

…

A terrified scream cut above the crunching of the branches and the squishing of the mud. I looked around, my instincts kicking in. Sam was on a rope but the rope was cut from under her. I acted immediately, flying after her to catch her. _You have no life! Your only purpose is to obey him_!

No, I fought. I could feel myself slipping but I fought against it.

"Danny," Sam cried, worried. _Obey him_! The voice cut through me like a knife and I lost consciousness.

…

I felt the controlling substance lose its hold. It was still overpowering but I could overpower it if I tried hard enough. My friends came into my view but I couldn't do nothing more than speak their names from the far distance. _You are nothing but a mere slave! He is the one who matters_! Sometime later, I felt the hold losing its strength and I noticed I held something in my hand. Surrounding my friends were the ghosts from earlier and the man. We were all on a train, moving fast.

"Return my staff," the big-nosed man instructed, holding out his hand.

I looked at him, fighting the urge to hand it over immediately. _Obey him_! No! I don't have to!

"Fight it, Danny," Sam stepped in front of the man. "He's not holding the staff anymore. You are!"

"Silence," the man said, pushing Sam. She caught herself before she fell. "Give me the staff! Come on, give it."

I looked between him and Sam. I knew Sam was right but the voice was so painful.

"I saw you on that high wire. You were fighting him the whole time. Fight him now, Danny! Fight him!"

_You can't_ _fight him! He's your master. Give him the staff_.

"Hand it over," the man instructed.

"Silence," I cried, bringing my hand to my aching head. They were all just too loud. I want to decide for myself. "I need to think!"

"It's either your friend or that staff, Danny. Which one is it going to be," Sam called, demandingly.

I looked between the two, fighting to choose Sam but the voice screaming at me to choose my master.

"Don't just stand there," the man cried, furious. "Stop her!"

The ghosts forced her to back up, my mind screaming at me to react while the voice told me to hand the staff to the man. "I didn't mean for that to be so literal!" Sam screamed, backing as far as she could. She stepped her foot too far, falling off the train.

"Sam," Tucker's voice screamed. "No!"

_Danny_, Sam screamed in her mind, the connection reaching me.

"Sam," I spoke, trying to piece it together. She's falling! She'll die! "Sam!"

I rocketed in the air, diving as far as I could. We were over widow maker's ravine, the deepest one in all of Amity Park. _Let her die! She doesn't matter_. I pushed myself, ignoring the voice as it cut deep in my soul. I reached out, accessing her mind to get her to save herself just in case I couldn't reach her. She was unresponsive, not even a scream coming from her.

The voice screamed at me again, shooting knives through my mind. R_eturn at once to your master_! I swooped past her, flexing my arms, the staff falling as I caught her. Sam was unconscious, the fall knocking her out from the lack of oxygen. _Get the staff! She doesn't matter! Only it and your master matters_. I ignored the voice, ignored the pain, phasing my hands into her, returning the oxygen levels to normal. She started to stir. She's the only thing that matters.

"Danny," Sam called. She looked me in the eyes. My red ones reflected into her purples until I saw the red vanish. I had complete control.

"Are you all right," I asked, feeling everything return in my body.

"Yeah. Are you," Sam asked.

"I done some bad stuff, didn't I," I asked, remembering the dream.

"Nothing you can't fix," Sam commented, smiling softly as I landed on the top of the train. I laid her down gently.

"Sam, thank God," Tucker called, being held by the body builder. "Maybe you could convince Tiny to let go of me now?"

"What happened," the lanky woman asked, looking to her hands.

"Are we free," the midget asked, "Finally free."

"Only one way to find out," I said, glaring at the man. He tried a weak smile but we tackled him, phasing him into the car below.

"Okay," the man said, holding his hands up, "When I called you minions, it was really a term of endearment. Like-like I love my minions!"

"You wanted a big haul, try this on for size!"

I blasted a wooden box above his head, trapping him in the loot he had us steal. I couldn't remember everything about the past few days but I knew this man was to blame.

"Oh, wow, that quite smarted."

He was going to pay for controlling me and more so for nearly killing Sam. This one wasn't going to get off the hook. The train came to a hard stop, sending us all swaying. Sirens surrounded the train, the sound deafening. "What do you say about sticking around and explaining to the cops we were all being controlled by an evil ringmaster?"

The ghosts answered my proposal by phasing out of the car, running for cover. "Ya know, I had a feeling that'd be their answer." I followed them, going to check on Sam and Tucker.

XXX

That night, I returned home, my parents infuriated with me. I went straight up to my room, trying to clear my head from all the events of the day. I didn't want to leave home tonight. I just wanted to stay safe for a day. I couldn't believe how easy it was for him to control me. I fought my hardest but it couldn't do anything. I'm just glad Sam and Tucker were okay. Something snapped my attention to my window, causing me to go to investigate. I looked down, seeing Sam and Tucker climbing up the ladder I had bought and hid behind the bushes below my window.

I smiled down at them, "Want to come up the easy way?"

"Yes," Sam smiled up at me.

"Help Tucker," I said, opening her mind only. I gently lifted her, using my hand to stabilize her. Since Sam would be flying herself, I might as well allow her to bring Tucker. They landed in my room. I shot a beam from my window, lassoing the ladder and gently laying it back in its hiding spot.

"Hey," Tucker greeted, putting his hand on my shoulder.

"Hey," I smiled at them. I walked over to my door, locking it and activating the silent proof walls.

"How are you doing," Sam asked me.

"Me," I asked, trying to hide my true feelings. "Fine! Never better."

"It's all right," Sam said, sitting down on my bed. I took the spot towards my headboard and Tucker sat down across from Sam. "You don't have to hide or be ashamed."

"It's just… scary. I can hardly remember anything about the ordeal. I can remember trudging through a swampy area. I guess it just felt that way when I was fighting to gain control."

"You did good," Sam said. "You beat him."

"I don't know if I did or not," I said, lowering my head. "If I had been one second too late. If I didn't get to you when I did, you'd died of air-deprivation long before you would have hit the bottom. You were unconscious when I reached you."

"You saved my life. Thank you," Sam said, kissing my cheek. I touched the spot, surprised I felt it.

"I don't think it counts," I said, retracting my hand. "I'm the one who put you in danger."

"You warned us about the big-nosed man," Tucker said, feeling guilty. "We didn't see the signs."

"It was a pretty vague description," I tried to cheer them up.

Sam scoffed, "It was a dead ringer. I just couldn't see past the man I idled was hurting you!"

"Don't be so hard on yourselves. I didn't see it coming either. Most of my dreams come true anyway when they begin. It happens so fast, it's hard to stop them from happening. It's not exactly the way they describe premonitions or visions. You get caught up in the moment, and there's no director to slow down the day!"

Tucker laughed, "Yeah, nothing seems to slow down when we need it to."

"And when we want it to last, it flies by," I added. "That's life."

"You still did good," Sam commented. I tried to smile at her, trying to take comfort in her words. I couldn't find any.

XXX

I shot awake, my door twisting, someone trying to open it. Sam and Tucker laid beside me on the bed. "Guys, wake up," I called. They sat up, the soft clicking of the door coming through to them now that they were awake. "Keep it up," I said, turning them invisible and opening their minds. "And don't make a sound."

I walked over to my door, stealing a glance at my clock. It was just 10:30 pm. Wow, I would have woke up in a few hours anyway. I can't sleep more than 4 hours. I unlocked my door, the thing flying in as I did the action. My mom came flying in the room, the momentum pushing her inside.

"Danny," Mom said, upset. "Why did you lock the door?"

"I'm sorry," I said, putting my hand behind my neck. "I guess I forgot to unlock it when I got dressed last night. Jazz has a bad habit of coming in unannounced. I didn't want her to come in on me… you know!"

"I thought for a minute that Sam and Tucker might have hid in here," Mom scolded. "Alice called. She said Tucker wasn't in his room."

I looked away, "I don't know where he is. I haven't seen him since we left the Manson's."

"Mm-hmm," Mom commented, not believing me. "And you're not the least bit curious as to where he is."

"Right," I shot up. "I'm a bit sleepy. Did you call the Manson's? Tucker might have went over there?"

"No," Mom shot at me, "You know I haven't called them. Ugh," Mom shot off again. "Now, Sam will call her butler and he will say Tucker was over there and none of this will be heard of again. I hate this town's stupid outlook on children!" Mom walked out of the room and I couldn't help but smile. I closed my door, locking it again. Sam and Tucker resumed being visible, Sam on the phone.

"When Mrs. Fenton calls, Tucker's at my house," Sam told him. "Don't tell my parents."

"Yes, Miss Manson," the butler replied over the ear piece.

Sam closed her cell phone, returning it to my nightstand. I came back over, sitting down on my bed, smiling at them. Tucker smiled too, though his was a bit weary. "Don't worry, Tuck," Sam explained. "It's not like Mr. and Mrs. Foley are like the Fenton's. They know who is boss."

"I'll still get a scolding," Tucker said, his smile returning full force. "Oh, well. It's worth it."

"No, it's not," my smile faded. "You're getting in trouble for me!"

"We get in trouble for each other all the time," Sam explained. "It'll be fine."

The door twisted again. I groaned, resuming the earlier regime. This time the door bent in. I rushed over, opening it before Dad tore it down. "Why did we put a locking mechanism on this door from the inside but not from the outside again?"

"What," I asked, unable to hide my smile.

"You can't say you were getting dressed this time," Mom said, walking into my room. "And why is your silent proof on?"

"I snore," I replied. It was a lie. I hardly breathe when I sleep anymore. Where most people breathe on reflex, I hold my breath now on reflex.

"Where are they," Mom asked me.

"Who," I asked, shrugging my shoulders. I felt my intangibility access and I had to fight from going see-through. Shoot, I didn't warn them about that. I caught myself but if I don't know it's happening, my powers try to make me do it.

"You know who," Dad shot. "Where are Sam and Tucker?"

"I'm grounded, remember," I said, stuffing my hands in my pockets. I looked down. I was still in my jeans. Oh, crap.

"I thought you said you dressed last night," Mom said, catching the action.

My closet door opened, "We're right here, Mr. and Mrs. Fenton."

I shot up. "Guys," I cried, surprised. I thought they were leaving to prevent being caught not to ensure it.

Mom and Dad glared at me, clearly upset.

"It was my idea," Sam falsely admitted. Well, I don't know if she thought of it or not. They just showed up but I wasn't going to let her take the blame.

"You did not," I cut in. "I called them to come over."

"Your phone is broken," Dad informed me. "You didn't use the phone or the computer. How else could you have done it?"

"It was my idea," Tucker objected.

"Now, which one was it really," Mom asked. "Like you said, Jack, it couldn't have been Danny."

"How do you know I didn't e-mail them or P.M. them," I shot back. I wasn't going to let them take the blame for this.

"We've put a tracker on your communications devices," Mom said. "We'll know who you contact and who contacts you."

"What," I screamed. "This is unfair! That's a total violation of my privacy!"

"You don't have privacy," Dad stated. "You're a child."

"Oh, when Samuels hears of this," I threatened, my anger boiling over.

"Yeah, well, let's call him and tell him how you've been slacking off. Let's tell him about the 3 Cs and the 4 Ds and the one B. He'll be thrilled to know you're cutting classes and skipping school," Mom said.

"Mrs. Fenton," Sam shot off. "This isn't fair."

"Young lady, you will stay out of this. We are Danny's parents. We are responsible for him," Mom commented.

"No one is responsible for me," I shot back. "I make my own decisions. I make my own choices. Some are bad but they're mine!"

"Dude," Tucker put his arm on my hand.

"No, it's happening again," I said, turning away from them. "That damn voice is back, telling me what to do!"

"That voice is your mother," Dad said sternly.

"Not you guys," I screamed out. I sat down on my bed. "I want to be in control of my own life. I want to make my own decisions. I want to deal with my own consequences! I don't want someone mapping out my life like a God damn road trip."

"Danny," Mom said, sternly but concern in her voice. "What voices are you hearing?"

"Do good. Do bad. Listen to your parents. Listen to your instincts. Fight for the town. Leave them the hell alone. Include your friends. Protect them. Tell your family. They'll only hurt you," I said, every one becoming louder as I spoke them. More started circling in my head. They became so jumbled, I couldn't separate them. I screamed to rise above the noise, "I can't hear myself anymore!"

Sam took my hands in hers, pulling them down from my head. "Danny, look at me. Look at me," she said sternly. I opened my eyes, the noise so loud. "You are in control of your own life. You make these choices," Sam said. I fought to hear her, the voices overlapping themselves.

"I don't know if I do," I said, my voice so soft. I felt myself slipping. I couldn't stand on my own two feet anymore. Everything went black, the world spinning.

"Danny," I heard the chorus.

XXX

I opened my eyes, looking directly into my ceiling. A large poster of a space shuttle was directly above me. I was on my bed. I sat up, my head spinning. The bed shifted, my friends coming into my sight. "Danny," they asked me, their voices soft and worried.

"What happened," I asked, rubbing my head.

"You passed out," Sam said. "We don't know why. You just went out. Your parents are examining my blood, trying to determine if you're sick," Sam said. I knew what she meant. We couldn't very well give them my blood. The green ectoplasm would be a dead giveaway.

"How did you manage the swamp," I asked.

"She withdrew the blood while I helped them carry you to your bed. She gently placed the pack to your skin, causing it to vanish." I nodded. My parents own invention turned against them. Clever. "Are you okay, now?"

"I think so," I answered.

"When were you going to tell us you were hearing voices," Sam asked me, finally getting to the point they both wanted to get to.

I sighed, "I didn't plan on telling you. They don't disrupt my daily life. Just… every once and a while, I'll hear them louder than normal. I've had so much going on lately that they've actually slipped from my focus. It wasn't until the ordeal yesterday that they resurfaced. I kept hearing a voice telling me to obey him. And when I tried to ignore him…"

The pain on their faces was unbearable. I stopped talking, unable to hurt them anymore. Sam and Tucker's eyes glistened over. "Please, don't stop," Sam begged.

"I can't," I started, then I amended, "I shouldn't. Mom and Dad might be returning."

"Danny," Tucker said softly, "It may hurt to hear you talking but it's always better than keeping it bottled up."

"When it's bottled up, it don't hurt you guys," I said. "It doesn't hurt anyone."

"It hurts you," Sam said, her eyes pleading.

I came to my feet, "I'm fine. It's nothing." I left my room, Sam and Tucker's sighs coming from behind me.

I went into the bathroom, splashing water on my face. I tried focusing on Mom and Dad but I couldn't hear them. The sound proof walls must be activated. I turned myself intangible, letting the water drip from my face back into the bowl. I solidified myself again, looking in the mirror. I choked as Jazz's reflection looked back at me in the mirror.

"Jazz," I cried, turning around. Oh, my God.

"Danny," Jazz said, her eyebrow creased. "What's wrong with you?"

"W-what do you mean," I stuttered. My heartbeat became even more erratic, shooting well past 200 bpm.

"Why are you so upset lately," Jazz said, stepping into the bathroom with me. I looked at her nervously. She closed the door behind her. "You can talk to me. I won't tell anyone what you say."

"You're not a therapist, Jazz," I shot back, trying to sound like her annoyed brother and not the half-ghost who's secret has been exposed. "I don't need to talk to anyone."

"Danny, please," Jazz took hold of my hand. Her eyes widened and I reflexively pulled it away from her.

"Leave me alone," I called, opening the door and running out of the bathroom. This was horrible. Jazz had seen me turn intangible and now she had felt my temperature. Next, she'll tell our parents and they're going to rip me apart, molecule by molecule!

"Danny," Jazz yelled. I ignored her, running to my bedroom.

"Danny," Sam and Tucker asked worriedly.

"I think Jazz saw me turn intangible," I said, looking over my shoulder.

"Just calm down," Sam instructed. "It's better intangibility than anything else. If you don't act suspicious, then she'll just assume her eyes was playing with her."

"You don't understand," I said, my voice going high, "Jazz doesn't assume anything! She finds them out and my parents are going to dissect me!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Tucker scoffed. "When Mom and Dad find out, they'll accept you just like they always do."

"What do you mean 'when,'" I shot at him. "I'll carry this to my grave!"

"Danny," Sam said, locking eyes with me. "Calm down."

I took a deep breath, closing my eyes and tried to do as she told me to. Finally, I felt myself relax. "Okay," I said. "I can keep this secret from Jazz. She won't tell my parents. And they won't kill me."

"They wouldn't do that anyway," Tucker's voice said calmly. "Ow," he added in a loud voice.

I opened an eye, seeing Sam glaring at Tucker and him rubbing his arm, soothingly. Some things never change. I closed my eye again, going back to meditating. Finally, I opened both eyes, calm once again.

"There we go," Sam said soothingly. Tucker stopped rubbing his arm, either from the pain leaving or to keep me from seeing. I don't know for sure.

"Thanks, Sam," I said, locking eyes with her the way she did with me.

"That's what friends are for," Sam smiled at me.

The door opened and my parents walked in the room. "Danny," Mom called, running over to me. "Are you okay, sweetie?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I told her. "I'm sorry. I probably wasn't breathing correctly or something."

"Honey, I think I'm going to call a therapist," Mom said slowly.

"What," I stated, confused.

"You need to talk to someone. You're under so much pressure. If you won't talk to one of us, maybe you need someone who won't judge you," Mom said.

"I'm not talking to any quack. I don't care. I don't trust therapists. All they do is try to characterize everything you do. To a therapist, nothing is done in instinct. I know otherwise!"

"Sweetie, your sister isn't a therapist yet. They teach you how to handle a patient appropriately," Mom said.

"No," I replied. "I'll muddle through."

"Sweetheart, talk to someone," Mom begged.

"I'm fine," I said, turning away. I was met with Sam and Tucker's worried gazes. I turned from them to see Dad's. "Ugh, stop that. All of you! I'm fine."

"No, you're not Danny," Dad replied. "You're hearing voices. That is not the definition of fine."

"It's not real voices," I lied. "It's just suggestions… things that I want to do or should do. It's not actual people telling me what to do!" Mom's eyes still held mine. Her deep blue eyes stayed locked with my baby blues. I tried to pull away but that look was so powerful. I sighed, walking over to her. "If I talk to you some more, would you drop the therapist idea?"

"If you tell me the truth," Mom said, those eyes still boring into my soul. I felt like the Earth and Mom was a drill. She kept digging into me, extracting anything she needed to find out what she wanted to know. I desperately tried to pull out of those eyes, but the incline was just too high. Every time I tried, I fell back in the pit.

"I can't tell you everything," I tried to get through to her. "There is something… I'm dealing with that I can't tell anyone but I promise you that I will tell you everything I can."

Mom pulled me into a hug, finally releasing me from that stare. I felt so exposed… so vulnerable. I returned the hug, holding onto Mom like it was the last hug I'd ever get. Hell, with whatever Vlad is going to do tomorrow in St. Louis, it might be the last hug I get.

XXX

Sam, Tucker and I came down the stairs later that morning, ready to get this Saturday started. I entered into the kitchen, Mom having already made breakfast. We took our seats, Mom handing out the plates. Dad and Jazz descended the stairs shortly after us, taking their seats. Jazz stared at me for a moment longer than normal and I stuffed the fear into a box I've created in my body… okay, not a real box but you get what I mean.

I took a bite of egg, not tasting anything. Sam and Tucker looked at me for a moment, but began to eat anyway. I picked up the orange juice and took a drink. I swallowed hard, my stomach doing summersaults. I covered my mouth, rushing from the table to the sink. I coughed up the orange juice, my sight swimming.

"Honey," Mom asked, concerned. I noticed all eyes were on me. Tucker and Sam's were huge, fear and curiosity swimming.

"I'm fine," I breathed, my stomach wrenching. I coughed up more juice, my body swaying. I turned on the sink, washing out my mouth. "That juice tasted horrible."

"It tastes fine to me," Dad said, though the worry was evident.

"I don't know," I chuckled weakly. "Maybe it wasn't what I wanted."

I walked over to the cabinet and picked up a glass. I started to get some water, but I changed my mind and went to the fridge. I picked up the apple juice and poured a glass.

I tentatively took a sip and it tasted fine. A sudden urge to down it came over me but I suppressed it. The urge screamed at me again and I took a bigger drink. Things just keep getting weirder and weirder.

I sat down at the table and began to eat again. I couldn't taste anything but for some reason if I tried to touch that orange juice, I would get sicker than a dog. I swear, maybe that saying is right: Drink apple juice because OJ will kill you.

XXX

We all took a seat in the living room, all eyes falling on me. Sam, Tucker and Jazz's(?) eyes all held worry but Mom and Dad looked expectantly at me. I took a deep breath, trying to find a way to cease all the worrying but not cause more questions, or worse, answers.

"Okay," I said, forcing myself to breathe. "I've been having problems lately because of the ghosts. I haven't been hunting, but I'm afraid someone is going to get hurt. I've been carrying one of your trackers and when a ghost comes into range, I leave class to make sure no one is around. If the ghost is spotted, I help people escape. If no one spots the ghost, I keep my eye on it to make sure nothing bad happens. Usually before things get out of hand, the ghost boy shows up and chases away the ghost. He never knows I'm there. He just… guards his turf."

"Sweetheart, why didn't you tell us," Mom asked me, her eyes mellowing.

"I was born premature," I explained. "You freak out over the simplest things. I didn't want a repeat of the first day of ghost hunting camp: dog-attack costume. I wanted to do something that could make a difference. I am the reigning champion of the camp after all."

"Danny, honey, I was worried it was something serious. I don't mind you protecting your fellow students as long as you don't face the ghosts. I'm certain you could help children escape where they might actually make a critical mistake. I don't mind that," Mom said, her eyes kind.

"Yeah," Dad beamed, "and one day when you're old enough, you can join us in a real ghost fight. Maybe we'll catch the ghost boy and rip him apart, molecule by molecule."

I gulped, "Sure, Dad, sounds… fun."

Tucker fell over on the couch, laughing. Sam grabbed him by the tender spot on his neck, bringing him to an upright position, his laughter traded in for a chorus of 'ow's.'

Sam and Jazz glared at him, Tucker shrinking. Sam turned to Jazz, her eyes looking confused.

"That's not very nice," Jazz shot in, her eyes escaping Sam's accusing ones. "He used to be a real boy and now he's a ghost. That doesn't give you the right to study him like one of your experiments!"

"Jazz, honey, you don't understand. The ghost boy could help us further our research. Just studying him in our lab could open numerous doors."

"The same way that opening a portal to the Ghost Zone could give you more information in just two minutes than what you've learned over all of twenty years," Sam shot back. "He may not be alive anymore but it doesn't mean that he doesn't have the right to exist!"

"I never said anything about removing him from existence," Mom said, coolly. "Jack just gets excited. We would do some tests on him to help us learn about his species. It's just like when someone collects a wild animal. Most times they're returned to the wild and on the off condition that they're not, they always live the rest of their lives in the zoo."

"You mean cages," Tucker shot back, now his turn to not find this funny. "Let's put you in a cage for the rest of eternity and see if you'll like it."

"Sam, Tucker," I said slowly. They turned to me and I shook my head no.

"Oh, that's easy for you to say," Tucker shot back. "You're not the one who has to deal with the guilt."

"Guilt," I asked. "Why would you feel guilty about that? It wouldn't be your fault if that happens."

Sam's eyes widened, "You haven't…"

"No," I smiled. "Actually, I've had some pretty good ones about that. I don't trust them because it's such a delicate balance. I don't get enough information to find out what could possibly alter the outcome. You know, the future is always changing."

"Okay, spill," Mom barked at me.

"Sorry," I said, looking at her. "One of the two things I can't explain."

"Two things," Tucker asked me, confused.

"Yeah," I said, looking down. "The other thing is even excluded from you guys."

"So help me if I find out he hurt you," Sam began, her temper flaring.

"Sam, calm down. It's nothing you know about," I tried to keep her from saying something I may come to regret.

"Who," Mom cried. "Who could have hurt Danny?"

"Hey," I cried, upset. "No fair! You can't ask them to tell you something!"

"Then answer my questions when I ask them. I will get answers any way I can. All is fair in love and war and when you step between a mother and her son, it's both," Mom replied. She turned to Sam, "Who are you talking about?"

"Sorry," Sam looked at me. "I'm Danny's friend. That means I keep Danny's secrets from you."

I smiled at her, grateful. I locked eyes with Tucker and I could see the crack in the dam of emotions.

"Hey, Tuck," I said. "Stay strong."

"But what if Sam's right. What if it does have something to do with that," Tucker asked, his eyes full of grief and sorrow. "Is the Dude Code worth your safety? I don't think so!"

"Tucker, if you break the Dude Code, my safety is jeopardized. I wouldn't risk anything too serious. Come on," I said, softly.

"Tucker, do what's right here," Mom said, looking him in the eyes.

"I am," Tucker said, looking at me. "I'm Danny's friend. That means I keep Danny's secrets from you."

"Is that an oath or something," Jazz snapped. "I've been told that too!"

"No," Sam said. "The oath is the guardian of the secret."

I groaned, rolling my eyes. They take that role very seriously.

"The secret," Mom asked. "A specific one?"

"When it comes to matters of Danny, it's the secret," Tucker said. "Nothing else matters. When you are entrusted in that secret, you guard it with your life and you threaten anyone who threatens it."

"That's enough," Sam barked.

"Yes," Tucker backed down.

"You two," I rolled my eyes again. "It's not that big of a deal… well, it is, but it doesn't mean it's worth that kind of attention."

"That's the only thing that matters," Sam replied. "Without it, we have nothing."

"You only say that because you hope one day it will include you," I said, "In an active manner."

"It will soon," Tucker said, his eyes gleaming. "I can't wait!"

"Can we please wait the five years," I asked them.

"No," both shot at me. I groaned.

"Why are you two so desperate to walk that damned line," I threw my hands up in the air.

"I hate this," Mom declared. "What are you talking about?"

"If we told you, we'd have to kill you," Tucker said but there was absolutely no humor in his voice.

"Tucker," I scolded. "It's not that severe!"

"You'd like to pretend it is," Tucker shot at me. "You really don't believe they'll accept you."

"This is driving me nuts," Mom declared. "What are you talking about?"

Sam stood up, snapping her fingers, "Follow me." Tucker and I stood up but Mom, Dad and Jazz stood up too. I chuckled as Sam added: "Not you three."

"Talk to you guys later," I said, disappearing upstairs.

XXX

"Are you two trying to expose the secret," Sam scolded us, turning on the silent proof walls. "Tucker, check the cameras. Make sure they're still off."

Tucker pulled out his PDA, "Yes, sir!"

Sam glared at him but eventually laid her kind eyes on me, "Danny, we really need to come up with a cover story. Your parents are too close."

"The more reason to leave the cover story alone. When I come up with something on the whim, it sounds plausible. It's something they teach you at camp. If you make it up beforehand, it will sound rehearsed."

"But wouldn't your parents know how to spot a half-baked story," Sam asked me, concerned.

"I don't come up with a half-baked anythings. I pause for a moment while I'm really thinking up the plan and when I speak, it sounds like I've resigned and told them the truth. Trust me. It works all the time. You're talking to the boy who his parents didn't know he didn't believe in ghosts until he became one."

"Camera is still off," Tucker said, looking up. "And I put a password on it so they can't turn it on."

"Thanks, Tuck," I said, looking around the room. "We need to be careful about what we say over communication devices. If we need to talk about something, we'll meet here or at the headquarters when I open it."

"When will it be ready," Sam asked me.

I sighed, "Contractor says it will be ready in one week. He's had some difficulty getting to and from the location. It may work when keeping its location a secret but it's a bitch to go to and fro."

"I can't wait to get TPHQ up and running. I want to remove all this incriminating evidence from your parents' house," Sam replied.

"Tell me about it," I replied. "Before, I just hiding the fact I changed my DNA profile. Now, I'm hiding that I'm Phantom. It isn't the same anymore."

XXX

Sam, Tuck and I headed out at six o'clock like usual and patrolled for the four hours we always do. Things were normal, nothing too extreme and nothing too minor. I walked them home, getting attacked on the way back. Same old, same old. I came home, got yelled at for missing curfew and went to bed. However, what wasn't same old, same old was Vlad was upstairs waiting on me.

I closed my door quickly, hitting the silent proof button. Why don't I just leave that thing on? "What are you doing here? Your note said you'd see me tomorrow!"

"And I will," Vlad answered. "I just had no way to reach you. That's why I left you a note."

"Dad destroyed my cell phone that I got after you took my other," I said, glaring at him. "I'd like it back!"

"Sorry," Vlad said. "It blew up in Wisconsin."

I groaned, "What do you want then?"

"Tomorrow at noon is when I'm coming to pick you up. You'll be with me all day tomorrow, so don't worry about when to be back. I'll return you when you go to school Monday. Man, your parents are mad. I tried to get them to let you come with me but I ended up erasing the meeting from their memories. They blame me for your mood changes."

"Where have you been," I asked, my voice low. I shook a strange feeling I had, changing my tone of voice, "I mean, what's took you so long?"

"I've been… thinking. We'll talk tomorrow. Don't you worry," Vlad said, walking over to me. I caught myself reaching for him but I shoved it away. What is wrong with me? Vlad's lips brushed mine and I fought the urge to return it. Vlad hesitantly removed himself from our… I mean his kiss. I breathed hard, a funny feeling rushing through my head. "See you tomorrow at noon."

"What do I tell them," I asked, my heart beating.

"Nothing. You'll have an excuse," Vlad replied. His eyes traced mine for a minute and I shook another feeling from my body. "Goodnight, Daniel." Vlad teleported out, taking a deep breath if I'm not mistaken.

"Goodnight, Vlad," I said after he'd gone. I stared at the spot he was last at. Come on, Fenton, get a grip. What's wrong with me?

XXX

"It's called magnetism," my grandmother explained to me early this morning. "It's where two uncoupled ghosts of the same power level are drawn to each other in an unyielding force. Ghosts are just like humans and they're not meant to be alone. However, once a person dies, the need becomes even stronger. What we fail to understand in the human realm is we do have soul mates. We are destined for each other and when we die it proves it. If we married our soul mate, the power level will be the same.

"If two ghosts have two different power levels, they aren't meant to be. Sometimes, the one you're destined to be with died before you could meet them. Sometimes, they're not from this world. If two ghosts that are married are from different power levels, the attraction they once felt will vanish. The way humans are attracted to looks or wealth, ghosts are attracted to power. The couple will fall apart."

"So I'm falling in love with Plasmius because he is the only other eleven," I asked, completely surprised.

"Yes," Grandma said sadly. "And there's nothing you can do about it."

"The hell there's not," Grandpa said. "The boy is meant to be with Sam. We have five grandchildren from that couple!"

"David, you know as well as I do the future is always changing."

"Wait a minute," I said, confused. "Five! I only know of three."

"You must not have had the dream about when you've been half ghost for twenty-one years," Grandpa said. "You and Sam have been under pressure with three teenaged children and one night, on patrol, you kind of… yeah, this is weird with my grandson."

"And it's not so pleasant with my grandfather," I said, turning away. "How on Earth… you know what, I'll dream it when I get home." A thought occurred to me, "I want to watch it anyway."

Grandma smirked at me, "Well, good luck honey. If you need us, always know the Fire Queen is at your beck and call."

I flew home, watching the minutes tick by so fast. Soon, Mom would be up and she'd make breakfast. I sat in the living room, all the lights turned off. Once again, while I prayed for time to stand still, it apparently decided to fly clear out of the park. At noon, the doorbell rang from downstairs where I was dressing in that stupid monkey suit Vlad had sent me home in. I always wondered why I didn't destroy that thing?

I came down to find my parents talking to thin air. Mom and Dad were communicating with something I couldn't see. _Go to the limo_, I heard a voice in my head say. I walked outside, knowing it must be Vlad.

Outside was a big black limo, reeking of Vlad. I walked to the door, it opening automatically. Vlad sat on the inside, his legs crossed, "Good afternoon, Daniel."

"What are they seeing," I asked him as I came into the back.

"Samuels," Vlad informed me, the door closing without any interference.

"Samuels," I asked, shocked. "How did you… never mind. What is Samuels telling them?"

"You're needed in Washington. He's taking you for the evening, you'll be staying with him through the night, and he will drop you off at school. They are much more lenient with him than they were with me."

"They haven't seen you in twenty years," I commented. "Samuels has been a part of my life all my life."

"Oh well. The point is that you and I have now and until school starts tomorrow to spend together." Vlad grabbed my hand, kissing it quickly, "I cannot tell you how long I've waited for this moment."

My pulse quickened and I fought the urge to lean it. Damn it, I will not fall for this trap! Just because he and I are the only elevens in the universe does not mean that I will fall into his arms. I'm meant to be with Sam. I'm meant to have my three, five, whatever children. Do not fall into this pit, Danny! Fight it.

Vlad's lips brushed against mine as I felt the limo kick into gear, driving off. My lips moved against his ever so lightly but I forced them still. Vlad leaned into me, pushing me against the cushions. My lips kicked up again, wrapping around his in an intricate pattern. I stopped as soon as I caught on to what I was doing but the urge was so impossibly strong. Vlad's hand slid down my waist, grabbing my right hip.

I moaned through his lip, the feeling driving me insane. It was no longer just a dream who desired Vlad. I wanted him. No! Fight it, damn it! It's just some stupid law that doesn't apply to us. We're freaks of nature! That means we can bend the rules of nature. My lips curled in with his, Vlad's saliva mixing with mine. I moaned, the taste of his breath tantalizing. I could taste him. It wasn't bland—it was real!

Vlad introduced his tongue to my mouth and I welcomed it. The taste of peppermint and methanol lingered on my tongue. Vlad grabbed my hip, holstering me to straddle him. I wrapped my arms around his neck, sucking in the taste. That's what I wanted. I could taste him on my lips.

Vlad placed his hands just on the inside of my coat, kissing me all the while. Ever so lightly, he sheathed it from my back. Once the coat hit the cushion, Vlad pulled on my undershirt. The action caused it to come out to lay against my body, untucked. I kissed him deeper, drawing in as much of his taste as I could.

Vlad's hands traveled up my spine from where he pulled my shirt out, his fingers causing a tingle. Vlad slipped the shirt over my head, the air nipping at my flesh. It wasn't cold, that's not what I'm saying. I could feel the air from the heater hitting my back. I could taste and now I could feel. I don't get it but I want more of it.

_This is where I've been_, Vlad replied inside my mind. _I've been trying to discover the secret of this. I've never felt this phenomenon before_.

I don't get it, I replied. _I shouldn't be able to taste, I shouldn't be able to feel but I can. Your taste is so sweet to me. Your hands, it's spellbinding_!

_I feel the same way_, Vlad replied. _Never, ever have I felt something for one of my bitches. You are a first Daniel. You make me sick, you make me weak, you make me want you_.

But I don't want to feel this way, I thought. I didn't want to say that to him. I wanted him to continue what he was doing. But I couldn't hide how I felt.

_It's okay_, Vlad replied. _I get it. That's why it's taken me so long to return. When I figured out what I wanted, I kept thinking it over. I can't expect you to return the way I feel, but I can do something for you. I won't hurt you again. If you obey me, I will never hurt you like that again_.

I want you, I thought to myself. God only knows how much I've missed you and loved every minute you've been gone. I just don't understand it. I don't think I'll ever get over this, but I want the feeling. Can we have a mutual agreement? It's not only me who's reaping the benefits.

_Of course_, Vlad replied. _We both get to feel, I get to have you and you don't have to feel pain. We all win_.

Feeling pain isn't the problem, I replied. Sometimes, pain is a good thing.

XXX

What have I done? I pulled myself away from Vlad, trying to put as much distance between he and I but Vlad pulled me back towards him, his hand having a possessive hold on me. I tried to regulate my breathing but I just couldn't believe what I just did. Vlad didn't hold a gun to my head. He didn't threaten my family unless I surrendered to him. I just had sex with Vlad willingly. This isn't right!

Vlad pulled me close, holding me against his chest. My shirt and coat lay discarded on the other line of cushions while my pants laid crumpled around my ankles. Vlad was dressed from the waist up but his pants laid like mine. I had sex with Vlad. This isn't happening. I wouldn't do this willingly, I couldn't give myself over to him like that. This isn't happening.

_There's nothing to be ashamed of, Daniel_, Vlad replied coolly. _It would have happened whether or not you had consented. This just made it easier on yourself_.

Then why do I feel so damn terrible, I shot back mentally.

"I don't know," Vlad spoke aloud. He pulled his pants up, tucking his shirt in. "Why do you?"

"Because I swore I'd never give in to you," I shot at him, yanking my pants up haphazardly.

"Daniel, we all make promises we can't keep," Vlad spoke. I turned away from him, the unshed tears in my eyes stinging.

"Why," I shot at him. "Why must I always falter to you? Damn you, I'm stronger than this! You make me feel so damn powerless!"

"Daniel," Vlad said, his voice disapproving. "We have been over this before. It's only because you are a hybrid. Those other ghosts couldn't stand a chance against you."

"That can't be the only reason," I said, turning back to face him. I wanted to kick myself the minute I did. I was letting him in to one of my vulnerabilities. "I may draw strength from both worlds, but I wasn't a weakling before the accident. That has to stand for something!"

Vlad pulled me towards him, forcing me to rest my head on his shoulder, "Hush, now. We'll be in St. Louis soon."

I laid still but I desperately wanted to pull away. Here, I could feel his warmth, I could feel how his chest rose and fell, I could smell his cologne, and I could smell the aroma of his taste. I wanted to forget those things. Being here, being so close to my old life made me want it even more. Wanting it made me consider erratic decisions. I didn't want that.

XXX

Soon, the limo came to a stop. Vlad straightened his coat and proceeded to straighten mine. The limo door opened, Vlad's driver holding it open for us to exit. Vlad ducked out of the limo and waited for me to come stand beside him. Once outside the limo, I noticed we were in the shopping district of Saint Louis. I couldn't believe my eyes. Some of the best-known suit and dress designers are in this very neighborhood. Wait a minute.

"Yes," Vlad answered. "We are here to shop for you and for me as well. I've had little time to restock my supplies from when my home blew up two weeks ago. I've been dealing with the merger and with the insurance payout. I haven't had time to do much else."

"So why include me," I asked, confused. "And why do I need to have suits. I'm fine in my regular clothing."

"Daniel," Vlad scolded, "I can't have my apprentice wearing rags."

"I'm not your apprentice," I retorted. "And I don't wear rags!"

"Nevertheless, you will be accompanying me for many outings. I want you looking the part," Vlad answered.

"Great," I groaned. I followed Vlad into one of the shops, the driver and another man trailing behind us. This was going to be a long day.

XXX

The limo kicked into gear, taking us further from the last shop we had visited. It was incredibly late. I believe Vlad had dragged me to every shop in St. Louis. It was now after midnight. Not too many shops should still be open. A small dome light illuminated the cab though I could see perfectly without it and I'm sure Vlad could too. Boxes and bags of all shapes and sizes sat around us.

Vlad pulled me in, the touch on my arm causing goose bumps. Vlad's fingers gently brushed my cheek, causing me to lean into his warm touch. I could feel my defenses literally crumbling. When he touched me, I could feel it. I no longer desired to stop the pain. The pain was worth it if I could feel the other emotions.

Vlad moved in closer, his lips a breath from my own. I could taste him already and I wanted to seal the deal. I wanted his tongue in my mouth so the taste would be more prominent. I leaned in, surrendering again. Our lips met and I worked my tongue into his mouth. Instantly, the flavors rushed, each one stronger than the last. I wrapped my arms around his neck, getting deeper in the kiss. Finally, I straddled him.

Vlad's hands went to my hips and he started to rub his hands against my clothing. A moan escaped my lips and entered his mouth as the sensation caused me to desire him more. I deepened the kiss, my hands going for his coat. It slipped harmlessly to the cushion. I was going to have sex with Vlad again. I was willing to pay any price to feel again.

XXX

I felt like a teeter-totter. The variables never changed but the outcome was always changing. I was in control of myself. I knew what I was doing and I was prepared to deal with the consequences but as soon as the deed was done, I desperately wished to change the outcome. Vlad held on to me possessively again, a small gesture to remind me I was still his. I wasn't his equal… I wasn't even his apprentice. I was still his bitch. I was just giving it over willingly.

We were on our way back to Amity Park now, the trip an hour ride. Vlad told me we would not be getting for any sleep tonight. I was trying to get some sleep now but my mind was racing too fast for sleep. I know one thing for sure. I would suffer tomorrow at school.

I glanced at my wrist watch, the display reading twelve-thirty. I wanted out of his grasp but wanted to stay wrapped up in his arms at the same time. Inside I still hated Vlad for what he's put me through, but simultaneously I can feel again because of him.

_Shouldn't that count for something?_

No! He's hurt me and he's caused my life a living hell. What part of that is forgivable? What part of him is sacrificing anything now? What is he giving up for me? How much have I given up for him?

_But would you be able to have any senses without him?_

I could feel after I was slashed with that Ectoranium.

_True, but look what you had to sacrifice to get that feeling. Do you plan to go through that again to get a similar result? With Vlad, it's simple. Just have sex with him. Just stay near him. Is it really that hard_?

How can you say that? What part of this deal isn't as painful as the Ectoranium? Sure, he may have not hurt us but that doesn't mean he won't do it later. What's to say as soon as we surrender completely, he won't take us and the Vlad we see disappears forever. What if this is his plan?

The voice became quiet again. I haven't had a conversation with 'myself' in a long time. Not since before the reunion. I'm not exactly sure what it means but I started hearing it after I became half ghost. Whenever something… life changing or impacting happens, I hear the voice. It's like the voice of reason.

Although I don't always agree with his reason.

I looked over in Vlad's direction, his eyes closed peacefully. I could actually feel his hand possessively wrapped around my shoulder although I was not looking at the action. I could feel his chest rising and falling and I could feel his hot breath come down on my head. It was so calming, to be able to feel these otherwise innocuous activities. To anyone else, these things would be taken for granted. To me, they were precious as gold.

I wrapped my arm around Vlad's waist, wanting something concrete to hold on to. If I closed my eyes, I could imagine he was anyone else. I breathed in his scent, the action calming me down. I could feel myself slipping, the aroma relaxing me into slumber. I took a deep breath, bringing in the scent and pretending it was Sam's shampoo I was breathing.

XXX

I awoke to small pattering footsteps, something small slamming into the bed. I sat up stretching, looking into the shinning blue eyes of a small black haired boy. His hair was messy like mine but it didn't quite resemble mine. A body beside mine sat up too, her arms stretching into the air above her head.

"Good morning, D.J.," the woman beside me said, smiling sleepily.

"Mommy, Daddy," the little boy cried up, hanging on my arm.

"What is it, Little Man," I asked, looking into his handsome face. He wasn't older than three.

"Is it time to get up," the little boy asked, his articulation of the words much greater than his years.

"I guess it is," the girl responded. I couldn't tell who she was but I had a sinking suspicion. My future-self hadn't taken his eyes off of our son.

"Sammy and Pammy are still sleeping. Can you wake them up," D.J. asked, looking into my eyes.

"You wanna wake them up the Phantom way," I asked.

"Yeah," he cried, excited. "Mommy, will you come?"

"How could I miss it," she replied. I looked over to her, Sam's face coming into my vision. Her hair was longer but her eyes were the same beautiful amethyst. Sam gently tossed the covers to the side, standing to her feet. I picked up my son, removing my eyes from my beautiful wife. I stood up with D.J. in my arms, carrying him gently.

"D.J.," Sam called from behind me. "Are you ready to turn to P.J.?"

"Yeah," D.J. cried. He concentrated, the power building from his small frame. My arms shook from the excursion being released from our son. Finally, a blinding white light exploded from my arms and I had to close my eyes from the assault. When I opened them again, in my arms was a pure white haired young boy, his green eyes shining up at mine. His outfit was pitch black, a symbol on his chest that resembled a 'P' and a 'J' connected. The power radiating off of him could easily surpass both Sam's and my own.

"Good job, son," Sam replied, her voice cheerful.

"Daddy, Mommy, go Phantom. Go ghost," D.J. called.

"Who do you want to go first," I asked him.

He put his gloved hand to his mouth, pondering the question. His eyes lit up as he came to his solution. I heard Sam yelp and my future-self instantly turned to her. "Now you both can change at the same time," D.J. said from my arms.

"I can watch Mommy from over here," another D.J. said from Sam's arms.

"When did you learn to duplicate your form," I asked, looking at my version of our twin son.

"I don't really know," Sam's version replied. "I just been watching you, Mommy, Aunt Jazz, Aunt Valerie, Uncle Tucker and Aunt Dani do it. I tried it and I could do it."

"We'll I'm very proud of you, Little Man," I replied.

"I am too, pumpkin," Sam replied, kissing his head.

"Mommy," D.J. cried dismally. "Not the hair!"

"And you wonder why he's a Daniel Junior," Sam smiled in my direction.

"No," I shot back playfully, "I just wonder when all the Dannys will stop?"

I triggered my rings, Sam copying my action across the room. I looked back at Sam, her black hair now snowy white, her violet eyes now a cool orange and her night slip converted into a form fitting, mid-drift exposing one piece. Her costume looked almost identical to the one she wears currently, but her purple leggings were traded in for orange in color. Her combat boots, long since traded in for black dress boots, still remained but now with her alter ego, Gothic Angel Phantom, Danny Phantom's wife.

I released D.J. from my arms, allowing him to float on his own. I lifted off the ground, floating casually in the air. Sam came to float beside us, her hand gently brushing my cheek. I closed my eyes, embracing her touch with every fiber of my being. Her fingers gripped gently around my head, Sam's body crushing against mine. Her lips entangled with mine, our kiss deepening with every passing second. Her taste, her touch, her smell, it all graced my sensors.

"Mommy, Daddy," the two D.J.'s called in unison.

Sam's lips pulled from mine. "I think our son is annoyed," Sam spoke softly. I opened my eyes, taking in Sam's soft luminescent tangelo eyes as they lit up in a smile.

"He does have my temper," I smiled back.

"You two can do that later," D.J. cried out, upset, after he became one again. "We need to wake up my sisters!"

I kissed Sam quickly, moving in to follow D.J. to the girls' rooms. D.J. flew into Sammy's room first, the small girl of eight laying curled in on herself. D.J. floated over towards his sister, Sam and I standing in the doorway, watching amused.

D.J. crept over his sister, ready to launch his attack when a bust of energy came from the bed, blowing D.J. through Sammy's bedroom wall. I heard D.J. grunt a floor below us. Sammy floated in the air, rolling over to face her bed, laughing uncontrollably. D.J. floated up through the bedroom floor, glaring at his sister.

"I can't believe you fell for that," Sammy laughed, her childish giggling obstructing her voice.

"No fair, Sammy," D.J. cried out.

"Like you weren't planning on doing the same thing to me," Sammy shot back, her giggling stiffened.

D.J. shot a glare at her but didn't retort any words back at his sister. Sammy floated into the air, triggering her own rings. The flash was bright but more resembling the genesis generation than the naturally born generation. Sammy's pajamas dissolved away into a black costume resembling mine currently, but no insignia like her siblings.

Sammy's eyes were my same green and her hair a snowy white. Sammy floated over into my arms, grabbing a hold of me tightly.

"Hey there, butterfly," I said, holding onto my daughter just as tightly. D.J. floated over to Sam, resting in her arms. Sammy has yet to name her ghost form but my dreams tell me she will become Claire Phantom. She will turn her middle name into her ghost name just like Jazz did.

We floated into Pammy's room, D.J. flying over to her bed. Pammy jumped out of the bed, trying her best to cause D.J. to have a similar reaction that Sammy had produced. However, a Phantom doesn't get fooled twice, D.J. glowing a bright green. His body shaped into a box of chocolates before Pammy caught onto the trick. Sam winced, knowing our daughter was going to have a heart attack. Pammy looked around surprised, looking in the direction of us three.

Pammy looked back to her bed, where she was sensing her brother. Seeing the chocolates, Pammy tried to pick them up. As her five year old fingers graced the top, D.J. transformed back into himself, crying: "Boo!"

Pammy let out a shriek, completely taken by surprise. D.J. started laughing uncontrollably, finally getting one on one of his sisters. Pammy screamed, completely furious. She leapt at him, turning intangible, tacking him through the floors again. Sam and I listened together, training our ears to their sibling quibble. I sunk through the floor, holding Sammy as I did. Pammy might be able to hold her own, but none of us compare to D.J.'s reserves of strength. With his age, he could accidently hurt Pammy.

"All right," I said, ending the squabble. The two of them floated up to look at me, Pammy already in her costume. Being the least powerful of the two, Pammy's outfit was designed to stand out. Her outfit was a one piece suit with the mid drift exposed.

Her sleeves cut short in a cute cut-off cuff but her gloves reached well above her elbows, the skin barely visible. In the middle of her chest was a midnight-blue filled rectangle, white sparkling stars covering the shape. At the top of her gloves and above the cuff of her boots were the same shapes, although they were more designed as boarders. Above her belt was the name 'MidNite Phantom' written in white Franklin Gothic Medium font.

"Daddy," Pammy cried, her eyes looking into mine. "Why did you let him do that to me?"

"Pamela," I said slowly, picking her up in my free arm, "I didn't allow him to do that to you. He's your brother. Believe me, your siblings will torment you for the rest of your life. Mine still do," I added playfully.

"Really," Pammy looked at me, her eyes wondering. "You are still bugged by your siblings."

"Yes," I said, brushing my nose to hers. "Jazz, Tucker and Dani bug me all the time."

Pammy beamed at me, excited to share something with me. My children are my world and I am their world in their eyes. I don't understand why they try to mirror my every move but all my children struggle to be the most like me. To me, I aim to be more like them: powerful, beautiful, sweet and generous. To me, nothing I can do can stand up to their efforts.

"We have the best kids in the world, don't we," Sam said, laying her hand on Pammy's shoulder and looking in my eyes.

"Best children in the universe," I amended, looking back into her own.

Pammy removed herself from my arms, floating between Sam and I.

"Let's go get some breakfast," Sam remarked, gently pushing Pammy further into the home as she turned in that direction. I dropped my arm from where I had her cuddled with me to lay on her long, snowy white hair. D.J. jumped into Sam's arms as she started towards the dining room, relaxing in his mother's touch. I packed Sammy while Pammy floated between us, a location she wanted to be in more than anything. Pammy wasn't loved less than Sammy or D.J., she just loved Sam and I equally and wanted to be a part of us both.

We all flashed our rings, the Phantom family once again becoming the Fenton family before we walked into the dining room to be served breakfast. Our three children sat on one side of the table while Sam and I sat on the opposite side awaiting our family. Soon, Tucker, Valerie, Jazz, Dani, Joseph and the six children came running in.

Joseph was Jazz's husband and the couple's three children trailed behind them. Tucker and Valerie walked in, a toddler bouncing between them. Courtney would be their only child but she was the center of the two's world.

Dani is the strangest person to explain. I don't know her in the present but I've had a few dreams about her. I consider her my sister and my cousin but as to who she really is, I don't have a clue. She playfully pushed two 12 year old twin boys, Jacky and Jamie, to follow the three children Jazz brought. The oldest of Jazz's, Joey, was ten years old. The other two were Jazz and Joseph's three year old twins, Philip and Tessa.

Once our family was complete, Sam waved for the butler to begin breakfast. The genesis generation sat on one side of the table while the natural born generation sat together on the other side. Sam and I held hands, the feeling present in the tips of my fingers. Tucker, to my left, grabbed my shoulder playfully. I looked in his direction, feeling that as well.

One thought happily rung out in my future-self's mind: the more Halfas, the more you feel. And I have an entire family of them.

XXX

I shot awake, my vitals reviving. I felt Vlad's hand still wrapped around my waist but it was nothing like I felt in my dream. This was only a small sample of my future. When that time came, this moment wouldn't even compare.

**AN: Please drop me a line. I'd like to send out a shout out to my wonderful reviewers. I love the feedback you guys give me. Please, send me any feedback you wish to share. I love to read your take on my work. Chrissie Guenever, thank you so much for your kind words. PrincessBetty01, you rock! You read my entire story in one day? Not even I can do that! Forever-stained-crimson, you've reviewed me several times. Thank you! The rest of my wonderful reviewers, thank you so much! Really, from the bottom of my heart.**

**Team04Phantom**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or Twilight.**

**AN: This story contains rape and male sex.**

**Chapter 14: Sacrifices**

When the limo came to a halt, Vlad's eyes opened like an alarm had been sounded. Vlad removed his hand from my back, making me already miss the constant contact. I placed my right hand on top of my left, just to ensure I could still feel. The pressure on my arm made me relax.

"Are you wanting to go to school today and shop for apartments after school or stay with me and finish it while school is in session?"

I blinked at him, "You want me to be with you when you shop… for apartments of all things?"

Vlad coughed, "Well, the only homes in the area that are to my likings are either in Amity Park or in Jefferson. While I don't mind living in Jefferson, I would really enjoy staying in Elemerton where if a ghost would target my ecto-signature, the damage would be minimal. This close to the portal, I couldn't control what happens. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes," I said simply, "I would agree that keeping the ghost exposure minimal would be a wise choice. I just can't believe you are the one suggesting it?"

"I don't want to overburden you," Vlad said, standing from his seat. I relaxed my arms, following him. I wanted to stretch my legs. Since becoming half ghost, sitting still too long causes me to get antsy. I wanted to move around; be active. I haven't moved in an hour!

"Why not buy something in Amity Park," I asked, even though I burned at the thought of Vlad living in my town.

"That's why," Vlad said, playfully. "You would object to that thought a million ways to Sunday. I want to keep the mood between us at the same frequency and possibly improve it. I don't want to piss you off this soon after telling you how I feel."

I looked at him, puzzled, "Okay. Well, I need to go to school. It never fails, at least three ghost attacks happens during a normal school day. If I'm not there, who will take care of the ghosts. Besides, today's the first day of the third quarter. It's a new semester."

"All right," Vlad answered, his expression one of disappointment. "Well, do you want to get a hotel or stay in the limo?"

"Just stay in the limo," I answered. If I went to a hotel, I might have sex with Vlad again. I'm trying to avoid that. Vlad took a deep breath, exactly that being something he was trying to spur. "No. We've had sex enough. I'm drawing the line."

"Who says you have the right to draw the line," Vlad asked me. I glared at him but I couldn't make my expression mirror the look I wanted. "Besides, you can never have too much sex."

"I was actually thinking about going for a little flight. I need to stretch my muscles and get a little air," I replied. "I'll be back in a little while." I triggered my rings since no one but Vlad was around and lifted in the air.

"Um," Vlad cleared his throat. "Excuse me? That wasn't a request. It sounded a lot like a notice."

I looked back at him, shock on my face, "I have to ask for permission?"

"I'm only going softer, Daniel. You're still my bitch. I still own you. You still must receive my permission before doing anything."

I groaned, "I knew I should have read the fine print. May I go for a flight?"

"No," Vlad said, his voice rising. "You weren't even going to ask me before you left. You must earn these privileges. I'm only going softer, like I said, I'm not releasing you from the rules I set that week. I will be actually enforcing them more strictly."

I triggered my rings, returning to Danny Fenton again, sighing as I landed on the ground gently. "I'm sorry. I misunderstood."

"You're damn right you did, Daniel," Vlad commented. "What did you think? Since I was having feelings for you I would abandon my prospect. You refuse to be my apprentice and you won't follow my example. What would I have to gain from what you believed?"

"You said you wouldn't hurt me," I defended. "I thought—it was something along the lines of a relationship." I struggled to speak that. It's exactly what my dream said I would do and it's not something I want but I thought that's what Vlad was implying.

"No," Vlad replied. "You are still my property. If I want sex, I will force you to give it to me. I may not hurt you but I will take it. If I want to return to the way it was, I will resume. Just because we have this arrangement, does not mean it will last forever. If I want you and I am no longer interested in keeping this schedule, you will have no choice but to follow me. I am still your master and you will still obey me as if I were still hurting you because if you don't, the deal may expire."

"Yes, sir," I replied, bowing my head. I was an idiot for thinking this would be different.

XXX

We had spent hours outside, uncaring about the snow that fell around us. There wasn't much snow, only a powdery substance on the ground. Even the other areas wouldn't get out of school for this. Since Christmas, we haven't had a snow day. Finally, a quarter 'til seven, Vlad pushed me gently towards the limo. I reluctantly done as he suggested and climbed in, followed by Vlad. "Proceed to our next destinations," Vlad instructed the driver, settling into his seat. The driver accepted the order, rolling up the window between the back of the limo and the cab. Vlad leaned into me, kissing me deeply. I didn't return the kiss, no longer having the desire to be with him. I knew my future and I was content to wait.

Vlad laid me down, kissing me all the while. I never objected but I never returned the kiss. Vlad's hand unbuttoned my pants, pulling them down to my ankles. Next, he lowered my underwear. Vlad's lips proceeded to my neck as he began to remove his pants. Vlad laid behind me, his hand going to my pelvis.

Vlad thrust my pelvis backward, his penis slipping in my anus. I made no sounds or movements, this act not painful at all. Vlad began to thrust forward and backward, his actions strong but gentle. From behind me, Vlad continued to suck my neck. I took no participation in the act, allowing Vlad to do as he wished.

At seven-twenty, Vlad dropped me off at the school. The destinations he had spoken of were breakfast and then school. I dashed in the school, hoping to reach my class before the bell rang. However, as I approached my first period's door, I looked down at my arm. I gasped as I realized I had the suit Vlad had given me on. Cussing inwardly, I turned away from the classroom and darted for my locker.

I always kept a change of clothes in my locker so I could change out of this outfit. If Sam and Tucker were at school, and the odds of them not being there were slim, I could sneak by without my backpack. I could always use their book and they'd allow me to borrow pen and paper. I jogged towards my locker, hearing the bell ring, signaling the beginning of class. As I passed the library, I slowed my jogging since I was no longer concerned with time. Just before I left the vicinity of the library, I heard something that made me stop.

Ragged breathing was coming softly through the wall; breathing that was not healthy. I turned around, heading back in the direction I came from. I entered into the library, looking around. I wasn't sure what I thought I would find, but no one was in the room. I listened closely, trying to determine if the breathing was coming from this room or not. As far as I knew, the breathing could be coming from anywhere in a one-mile radius.

The breathing was definitely coming from this room and now I knew where. I walked over to the janitor's closet, the breathing sounding like a dragon behind a door. I put my hand on the door, twisting the knob but it didn't open. Forming ecto-energy in my hand, I formed a key in my hand without the teeth. The ectoplasm was still soft so as I set the key in the whole, I formed the key to match the mold.

Twisting the key, I heard the lock click. "Hello," a muffled voice cry through the door. "Please, help me, I'm in the closet!"

I tried to listen to who it was but his voice was too loud in my ears. I opened the door, releasing the mystery man. Mr. Lancer came through the door, giving me no time fully open the door.

"Mr. Lancer," I asked, completely surprised. "What happened to you?"

Mr. Lancer looked up, his eyes blood shot, his face pale, and his shirt dampened with water. "Mr. Fenton," Mr. Lancer called, his voice displaying complete disgust. "Why in the name of Shakespeare would you lock me in a closet?"

"I locked you," I asked, my eyes widening. "You've been in there since Friday," I said, realization dawning on me.

"What is today," Mr. Lancer said, keeping his eye on me.

"Monday," I replied. "Mr. Lancer, I am so sorry. I wasn't myself Friday. I swear I didn't know I hurt you!"

"I don't even know how you did it," Mr. Lancer said, his eyes squinting. "I remember you standing in front of me then being locked in the closet. How did you do it?"

"Mr. Lancer, I can honestly say I have no memory from shortly after sitting in detention until later that night. I have no idea how I locked you in that closet. I don't know of anything I did that evening."

"What happened to you, then," Mr. Lancer asked me.

"I don't know," I replied. "But I do know you need medical attention. You are dehydrated and you are probably suffering from the cold over the weekend. Please, go see the nurse or have someone drive you to the hospital. You need to be attended by someone."

"I'm fine, Mr. Fenton. I don't know if you deserve this," Mr. Lancer said, holding out his hand, "but thank you."

I took his hand, "I probably don't deserve it. I am really sorry and I will do something to make up for this. I promise."

"How about getting to class," Mr. Lancer replied, looking at the clock. "That'd be enough for me."

I gave a weak smile, my insides twisting. I stole, I attacked people, I nearly killed my friends and I nearly killed Mr. Lancer that evening. What else did I do that I don't know about?

I walked into my science class, taking my seat in the back with Sam and Tucker. I was dressed in my usual attire now, having ran to my locker and dressed in the bathroom. Sam and Tucker looked at me worriedly, Sam placing her hand on my arm. "Danny," Sam asked worriedly, "What's wrong?"

"Why didn't you tell me I locked Mr. Lancer in the supply closet when I was under his control," I asked in a hushed voice.

I saw Sam and Tucker's eyes widen. "We forgot," Tucker stated in a concerned voice. "Did he approach you?"

"No," I raised my voice slightly. "I rescued him! He'd been in there since then!"

"Oh, my God," Sam cried in a hushed voice, horrified. "Was he all right?"

"He needs to be checked out by a doctor," I replied. "He's been stuck here with no food or water and no heat! I'm concerned he could get really sick."

"What if he tries to press charges," Tucker asked, his eyes widened, "Or asks questions?"

"Questions I'm worried about too, but not for the reasons you believe. I told him I don't remember much after I was in class. I'm afraid he might call my parents and try to find out what happened to me. I'm not too worried about pressing charges. If he tries, you know Sanchez would laugh him out of his office. But if he does, I can take care of it."

"Did he seem okay," Sam asked me.

"Nothing that screamed at me," I replied, thinking about it for a second. "He was really sweaty from the cold exposure and he was severely dehydrated but I think he'll be okay if he just goes to see a doctor."

XXX

Sam, Tuck and I walked into our second period classroom, anxious as to what would meet us. A substitute teacher, the one who had taken over for our history tests, sat at the desk. We three took a collective breath, I hoping Mr. Lancer was truly at a doctor. I took my seat, Sam and Tucker moving theirs closer to mine. I didn't need to use one of my friends book now since I had went to Tuck's locker between classes but I was using a pad of paper from Sam and a pen from Tucker. I opened my book and positioned my paper and pen but didn't pay much attention to it. My mind was elsewhere.

As the minutes tolled down, closer and closer to the beginning of class, the remainder of the class walked into the classroom and took a seat. The ringing of the bell did nothing to bring silence to the classroom. The substitute tried to bring order but she held no authority in this town. The substitute smacked a book down on the desk, trying to silence the group. Oh, lord, I thought. Here goes the neighborhood.

"Hey," Dash shot up to the teacher. "Sit down and stay out of this!"

"Excuse me, young man," the substitute asked, her temper flared.

"My name is Dash," he retorted, "or sir. Do not undermine me! We aren't going to do anything the teacher might have assigned. So sit down and shut up."

I covered my face with my hands, knowing this was going to end badly. "Young man, go to the principal's office, right now! You are out of my classroom!"

Dash snorted, "You don't own this classroom. I do!" Dash stood up, shoving the desk back against the wall as he acted all bad. "And when I get back, you won't find work in this county! Maybe not this state!"

Dash walked out, the other classmen sighing in awe. I kept my head hidden behind my hand, too embarrassed to show myself. However, that stupid little voice in the back of my mind screamed at me.

_She doesn't understand the way this town works. She believes she just threw out a trouble-maker, not the boy who writes the principal's paycheck! Do something! Are you a hero or are you a mouse_!

First off, I am no hero! I am just a boy trying to protect my town…

_Exactly, you protect people. So are you going to allow her to suffer because she's not from this town or are you going to do your job_!

I protect people from ghosts, not psycho Kings of the A-List! Besides, what can I do! Dash holds absolute power in this town!

_Not absolute. You can go over his head!_

That would require me to reveal myself as a Paranormal Ghost Hunter. A member of Homeland Security, Division G!

_We all must make sacrifices for the greater good._

Sacrifices. Sacrifices! That's all I've done lately! When will someone sacrifice something for me? It's not like this town gives a damn anyway!

_We didn't sign up for fame or adoration._

I didn't sign up for this at all! I was electrocuted. I tripped!

_That's not true and you know it. The minute you walked into that lab you were asking for something to go wrong_.

Yeah, like I expected something like that to happen.

I groaned out loud this time, whispering to Sam, "Can I borrow your cell phone?"

"What about yours," Sam asked me.

"Team Phantom's cell phone is at home where nothing bad can happen to it and my last two phones have both met terrible fates. Can I borrow yours?"

Sam reached into her backpack and handed me her cell, "Here."

"Thanks," I replied. I dialed the number to my Washington, D.C. office, listening to the tolling of the sending tone.

"You've called the office of Daniel Fenton, this is Carrie speaking. How may I help you," my secretary replied.

"Hey Carrie," I replied.

"Radar," Carrie remarked, surprised. "How may I help you, Sir."

"I need you to call the Illinois State Board of Education and step over the governor's head. He's about to fire a teacher. Her name is Tanner. Take care of it for me," I asked her.

"Tanner," Carrie asked me for clarification, spelling it. "Okay, sir. I will take care of it. Have a nice morning, Radar."

"Thank you, Carrie. And you can expect a little something extra in your paycheck." We said our goodbyes and I returned Sam's cell phone to her. "Hopefully," I replied, "I can keep both of us happy."

"Both of who," Tucker asked me, his eyebrow cocking.

"That nagging voice in the back of my head," I replied, sinking into my chair. I wrapped my arms around my waist, feeling sleep overcome me.

XXX

"Danny," Sam called, stifling a laugh. "Danny, it's not an alarm!"

"Huh," I opened my eyes groggily. I noticed my hand outstretched to where my alarm would be if I was in my bed. I groaned. "Oh, great. I'm trying to turn off the release bell."

Tucker laughed, "It was funny. You heard it before anyone in here."

"Of course I did," I replied, sitting up stretching. "I probably heard the person in the office tolling it."

Sam laughed at that, "I believe Casper High is more advanced then that!"

"Well, I hear something before the actual bell," I said, picking up my book and pad. Tucker and Sam slung their bags over their shoulders, Sam completing the action to make it rest on her back. I nestled my books in my hand. We walked out of the class, and I wondered what happened while I was asleep. I wasn't too concerned with what was going on but I wanted to put that voice at ease before he spoke up again. Gee, I miss the time when he was silenced already.

We stopped at Tucker's locker, Tucker actually being the one to exchange the books this time. After he placed his book in his locker, he held his outstretched hand for mine. I handed the book to him, holding onto my pad of paper. Tucker handed me my math book and I tucked it in the crook of my arm.

After a quick stop at Sam's locker we were on our way to Mr. Fuluka's classroom. I so didn't want to go to this class. Couldn't I get a ghost sense and have to skip? Oh well, it isn't all bad. We walked into the room, heading to our desks in the back of the classroom. Tucker pulled the desks closer together, taking a seat before connecting them.

Mr. Fuluka was droning on again and I could feel my head nodding. All I wanted to do was go to sleep. This was incredibly boring. However, as my eyes slid shut again a chill came over me and my ghost sense went off. I shot awake, sending my mind out to the surrounding areas, already searching for the ghost.

"You want us to tag along," Sam whispered to me.

"No," I replied as Sam and Tucker scooted their desks away from mine as quietly as possible. "I'll be fine," I replied in a quiet voice. I spoke up, "Mr. Fuluka, excuse me for interrupting but may I be excused."

"Well," Mr. Fuluka turned around. "At least this time you're asking," he replied, still sore about the first day back in the new year. "I see no harm in it. But, please return, Mr. Fenton."

I placed my book on Tucker's desk, "I'll try. Take care of this if I don't."

"Are you sure," Tucker asked me, worry evident.

"Don't worry," I called, running out of the classroom. I could already sense it. It was big; a seven or an eight. I darted around a corner, looking down the hall. With no one around, I leapt into the air, transforming in an instant. I flew down the hall, deadpanning for where I sensed the ghost.

XXX

I narrowed my eyes, furious that he had returned. This ghost had caused me a lot of trouble a while back. His name was Darcy Victor and in his old life he was a scientist. He enjoyed taking 'specimens' back to his lab and studying them. He was nothing more than a psychopath, experimenting and dissecting on others for his own amusement. The last time he was here, he had taken several plants and animals from our world and returned them to his lair to experiment on.

What had pissed me off more than anything was he had tried to abduct a human to further his research. This is why he's here. He's trying to take a student so he can continue his research.

"What are you doing back here, Darcy," I shot at the German doctor. "Didn't I tell you to stay out of my realm!"

"Ah, Phantom," the German greeted me. "Yes, I do recall you banishing me but I have returned for a very noble cause."

"I don't care," I shot back. "Get out of my realm or I will throw you out!"

"Tsk, tsk young halfa. We are going to further the study of the human and the ghost research together. With my experiments and my research, we can fully understand how a human becomes a ghost. Don't you want to understand what makes you tick," Darcy asked me.

"I know what makes me ticked off," I shot off, powering up an ecto-blast. "What you do is inhuman!"

"You just do not understand, young halfa," Darcy explained. "In my day, there were no such laws prohibiting what you could study and what you couldn't. Of course, human experimentation was outlawed but I truly do believe in the work of my Fūhrer. He was a true visionary."

I growled, "Hitler was nothing but a racist bastard! A terrorist! He used his distrust and his paranoia to fuel the darkest days in our history! His game came to an end and so shall yours!"

"Ah, no my young halfa. We will continue Fūhrer's work. He will see his dreams come true and when he escapes the Forbidden Zone, he will rule this world the way he was always meant to. And you will help me," Darcy remarked. I felt the rage burn in me.

I charged at him, tackling him to where we both fell through the floor and into the basement. I focused on touching something from this realm, allowing me to slam into the concrete. Darcy didn't, falling through the foundation and into the earth below. I came to my feet, looking around wildly. He could come up anywhere.

A blast threw me from my spot, causing me to rocket into the air. I forced myself back to the ground, taking Darcy in my sight. Darcy threw another blast in my direction but I formed a shield, deflecting it. I rocketed two blasts in his direction, one being diverted while the other made its mark. Darcy slammed backwards, flying out the wall.

I flew after him, ready to finish this. I flew through the wall, my fists prepared to fire at the sight of him. However, when I made it the other portion of the basement, I couldn't see Darcy anywhere. I scanned the room but he was gone. I opened my mind, searching for his power and it screamed at me. I turned to my left but it was too late. A blast shot out, the ectoplasm acting as a conductor instead of a shot.

The ectoplasm shot through my body, the electric and energy causing my body to converse. I screamed out, partly in pain but mostly in rage. I tried to break free of the blast but it was no use. As I felt the last of my reserves kick in to help me escape the trap, Darcy turned his energy blue. I was shocked. I didn't know Darcy had any other energies.

My power gave out, the rings forming at my waist and turning me back into Danny Fenton. Darcy released the blast, causing me to come crashing to the ground on my hands and knees. I looked up weakly, unable to fight off any attacks. I only had one option.

Sam, Tucker, I called out in my mind, searching for my friend's signature.

"What the," I heard Sam and Tucker's voice say, an echo sounding.

I need help. Go to Grandma and Grandpa. Tell them one of the nighttime ghosts have me. His name is Darcy Victor. He's a scientist from Nazi Germany. I can't fight him off. I'm too weak. Hurry.

"Good night, halfa," I heard Darcy say, a sharp pain cutting into my neck. I screamed out, everything going black.

XXX

I awoke in a strange place. The room was enormous, some kind of lab from the early 20th Century. Many of the tools were updated to current standards but the setup of the lab was unmistakably 1900s. I tried raising up but my arms were strapped down in ecto-straps. I pulled on them but they didn't budge.

"It's no use, young halfa. You are forced to stay with me throughout this time," a German voice spoke out of my sight. I recognized it immediately as Darcy's thick accent.

"What do you want with me," I asked, still struggling with the bonds.

"I want to understand what allows you to exist in both realities," Darcy replied, his voice smug as if it were the simplest conclusion. "You are the missing link, my young halfa. If I understand what makes you exist, then I can understand the biology of both species. The anatomy of both species."

I looked wildly around the room, determined to discover if anyone else was here with me.

"No," Darcy replied. "I don't need another specimen. You are both. I can do my experiments on both of your forms and get the same answers."

I relaxed, knowing it was just me. Darcy came into my sight. "You are truly a testament to the remarkable abilities of both species. The physical endurance of a ghost yet the mental endurance of a human. You are truly the super species. It is true that when you mature, no one will want to be on your bad side."

"You're on my bad side now," I shot off, pulling harder at the restraints. "Let me go!"

"You have yet to mature, young halfa. You are not a threat now," Darcy said, walking away for a moment. He returned with a needle, "Now, hold still and this can be over in a few years."

"Years," I shot out, "Buddy, this ends now."

"I am afraid not," Darcy replied, sticking the needle in my human arm. It didn't hurt but it pissed me off. I struggled, but Darcy merely pushed a button, electric shock shooting through me. I screamed out while he removed the needle from my arm, the vile full of red blood with green mixed in. "Look at this," Darcy said, holding the vile up to examine it.

"It is unmistakably human yet there is ghost detection in it. Your ghost powers would be powerful in your human state… but yet, with you having another form, you must have a reason to sustain it."

I controlled my breathing, looking back up at him. Darcy shook his head, placing the vial on a medical cart. He walked back over with a scalpel, "Now, to do some experimentation. With your ghost form, you should have less pain receptacles. However, with your human form I wonder if it has been altered any. What do you resemble more?"

He placed the blade to my arm and pulled down. Upon it healing, Darcy called out happily. "Will you look at that! You couldn't feel that even if you weren't half ghost. The injury is healed before any pain can be detected! Incredible! I guess I will have to alter my procedure. I will return shorty, young halfa."

Darcy walked away and I tugged harder on the ropes. They wouldn't budge. I didn't know what the mad scientist was preparing to do but I know I don't want to stick around to find out. I tried to summon my ghost powers to escape but they stayed locked away, the trigger missing. No, come on. Go ghost!

Darcy returned a moment later carrying some kind of mechanical arm unit. They resembled the arms they use in underwater research. He placed them on the table and stepped away: "I will be completing this from the safe room. I can kill two birds with one stone here. See how you react to Ectoranium."

"What," I asked, my eyes going wide. "No, wait!"

"Best of luck, young halfa," Darcy replied, a wicked smile on his lips. My heart began to race as Darcy turned to leave. The arms lifted in the air, no one controlling them. When I looked closely, I could tell there was two small green ectoplasm beams wrapped around them. I raised up as far as I could, looking towards Darcy. He was moving his hands behind this glass, controlling the unit from afar.

It's the trick I've been trying to learn. Darcy knows how to use ecto-energy without shooting it or using his hands. Suddenly, his hands dropped to his side, the arms still moving though it looked like he wasn't controlling them anymore. The unit picked up a thick black box, bringing it closer. My heart raced, fearful of what was inside. The unit placed the box on the cart.

As the unit opened the box, I felt my insides being ripped apart. Not again. Oh, God, not again. I resisted from screaming though it was just at the back of my throat. The parts of my body closest, like my legs, started to convulse. I groaned out very painfully as I felt my body being ripped apart, the molecules seemingly scrambling.

The fingers picked up the Ectoranium, bringing it closer to me. I screamed out, closing my eyes to try to control myself. The ropes around my arms and legs began to tighten, my feeling returning. I could feel my heart beat in my chest and feel the sweat running down my forehead. My body stopped being pulled apart, the ectoplasm in my blood retreating.

The unit placed the Ectoranium on my chest, the action causing no pain. I felt the small rock sitting on my sternum, the light weight causing a small sensation. The unit picked up the Ectoranium again, this time cutting into my chest through my clothes. The minute the rock cut into my skin and mixed with my blood, pain shot through my body. I screamed, unable to hold it in.

Things started to get fuzzy, the pain sending me into shock. I smiled despite the pain, knowing at least I was feeling something. The unit collapsed, the rock landing on my cut. I screamed out again but I couldn't help but enjoy it. I looked towards Darcy, seeing the room he was in caught up in a fire tornado. Flames swirled in the box, the rims on the outside turning a crimson red from the heat.

"Danny," I heard three voices cry. I also heard screams of anger and of pain but those were incoherent.

"It's Ectoranium," I heard a sole voice, pain and fear covering it. "You need to get rid of that stuff. Carla and I can't go anywhere near it."

"We'll get rid of it," I heard a panicked voice. "Tucker, take this to the Specter Speeder! Hurry. If Mr. and Mrs. Simmons can't get around it, that means Danny can't either!"

"Right, Sam," I heard another voice. The tightness around one of my arms vanished while the light weight and the excruciating pain vanished. I felt my mind return and I noticed Tucker running from the table while Grandpa sat in the distance and Sam began cutting the rope from my leg.

"Danny, can you hear me," she asked me.

"Yeah," I replied, my voice weaker than I expected. "What's going on?"

"Victor tried to experiment on you," Grandpa replied, stepping up to me. Blue ectoplasm formed in his hand, shooting two beams around the other two bonds. They melted away. "You're safe now, Danny."

Sam cut through the last bond securing me and I stood up. Grandpa tried to heal me using his hand but he recoiled away. "Don't," I said too late. "He cut me."

"Why can't you heal yourself," Sam asked me, confusion on her face.

"Remember the gashes I got last week," I asked her.

"Yeah," Sam replied. "Did they ever heal?"

"If you want to call this healing," I said, lifting up my sleeve. A small scar, barely visible but visible, stood out. Sam stared at it in shock. "It was from the same stuff. Ectoranium."

"Ectoranium is the only element known to man or ghost that can cause real substantial damage to a ghost. There is an entire population that can withstand it's effects but most ghosts are highly sensitive to it. We need to get that stuff out of your chest," Grandpa remarked.

"Thanks," I said, looking to Sam. "I wasn't for sure it would work."

"How did both Tuck and I hear you in our heads," Sam asked me, confusion lighting her eyes.

"Something about a mental link. I'm not sure how it works, all I know is Vlad uses it all the time."

I heard a piercing howl, the scream vanishing like something you'd hear in a horror movie. My head, along with Sam and my grandfather's, snapped towards the sound: Darcy's box. The flames ceased, my grandmother phasing through the box. Her eyes glowed a furious red, the energy around her licking with blues, crimsons and a dark black color closest to her spectral body. Her pupils were gone, nothing but the furious red remaining.

"Grandma," I asked, concerned.

"Carla," Grandpa asked, concerned as well.

"He will hurt no one no more," Grandma said, her voice deep and terrifying.

"You didn't," I asked, horrified.

"What did you expect," Grandpa asked me. "I knew Darcy Victor would be no more after this."

"You obliterated him," I asked, my voice still carrying that horrified sound.

The glow returned to normal, Grandma's eyes also resuming the kind red glow. I've seen a picture of her before her death. Her powers had turned her brown eyes into a soft red, just a few shades darker than her human eyes. They returned, carrying a kindness that should seem impossible.

Grandma walked over to me, placing her hand on my shoulder. I tried to warn her but she ignored me, ignoring the pain as well. "Follow me, honey."

"Grandma, I just wanted you to rescue me," I said, horrified.

"And I did," she commented, her voice still kind. "Darcy Victor was a ghostly plight. He should have been sent to the Forbidden Zone but because he wasn't well known in his research, he was allowed to slip into the main Ghost Zone. I corrected their mistake."

"Grandma, he didn't deserve to die," I asked, my voice softening.

"He kills for research. He was willing to sacrifice you. I will not have anyone harming my child," Grandma replied. I embraced her, focusing to touch something from another realm. "Now, follow me so I can get you fixed up."

XXX

I looked around the haunt in surprise. I had never seen this place before. Sam and Tucker were forced to go back to Fentonworks and wait for me there. I tried to tell them to go back to school but I knew it was a losing battle before they told me no. I was still in human form but I was allowed in as an exception. With the opening of the portal, humans were outlawed from the ghost hospital. Because of my situation, I was allowed to stay in human form though it was made clear that this was a one-time situation.

I was immediately taken back to a room because of the urgency. A team assessed me, determining how bad I was. When it was deemed okay to proceed, they surgically removed the glass that had lodged in my chest. As soon as the last shard was removed, the doctor formed a board with white energy. I stared at it in shock.

"This will hurt but it will remove the remaining Ectoranium," the doctor replied. He pressed the board against my chest and I howled in pain. I could feel my skin where he pressed the board against it burning and dissolving.

"Stop, stop, stop," I screamed but he didn't. When he pulled his hand back, the board was gone but that wasn't all. A small portion of my chest, right below my left shoulder blade, was missing. A gaping hole looked up at me and I thought I'd faint but I didn't. "What the hell was that for," I asked, shock still going through me.

"It'll heal back. Quickly," the doctor said, looking me over. "Much faster than the Ectoranium would have allowed it to."

"You are crazy," I shot at him. "There has to be another way to remove Ectoranium from a body."

"Not that we know of," the doctor said. "It wasn't really necessary for you. But I did save you an entire day of normalcy and completely separate human and ghost forms. When that heals up, you are free to go."

I laid my head back, breathing heavily. I could feel my ghost side returning because the pain was starting to subside. After five minutes, all that was left was a small indication where it was finishing up healing. I got dressed, not waiting.

I walked out of the room, heading for the waiting room. My grandparents stood up, walking over to me.

"This place is crazy," I stated, shaking my head. "They burnt a hole where the Ectoranium was! Completely through."

"It's the only way to get rid of it," Grandma replied. "For you, it's not a medical emergency but to any other ghost, even that small amount can kill. That's why Ectoranium is such an effective way to destroy a ghost."

I paused for a moment, giving up on complaining about the doctor's methods. "Thank you, Grandma," I spoke after my pause. "Thank you, Grandpa."

My grandparents embraced me, holding me tightly and with me allowing them, there were no problems. After we broke the hug, Grandma smiled at me: "Go home to your family, Danny. I love you."

"Know that you two are my family, too," I said, looking to each of them. They nodded, their smiles soft and slightly sad. "I love you guys. I'll see you again, soon."

"Goodbye, Danny," Grandpa sent me off. I triggered my rings, heading for home.

XXX

When I landed in the lab, I looked around quickly but didn't see my parents. Sam and Tucker ran over to the portal, watching as I flashed back into Danny Fenton. "Danny, are you okay," Sam asked me.

"Yeah," I grumbled. "I won't be returning to that hospital, though. That's for sure!"

"What happened," Tucker asked me.

"The reason I could feel all day that day was because I had Ectoranium still in my bloodstream. As long as it was still in my bloodstream, my ghost form and my human form was still separated. If that happens, I don't heal in my human form the way I normally do. I'm literally half ghost and half human and the only way to access the other part of me is through the rings. Not good! The doctor killed all the blood, tissue and… I mean everything! I had a gaping hole in my chest where Darcy Victor slashed me."

"Oh, my God," Sam said, her eyes widened as she tried to imagine it.

"Don't try that," I replied. "You don't want to imagine what it felt like."

"But if that Ectoranium was in your bloodstream, wasn't your halves separated," Tucker asked me, his eyes wide.

"Yeah," I said, my voice hard but not towards them. "I felt every damn bit of it!"

"Danny," Sam jumped, taking me in her arms, "Do you need something."

I blushed at the contact, "Um, no. I'm healed now. It only lasted five minutes."

Sam gave me a quick hug, releasing me. Then she straightened her back, getting into scolding mood. Oh, lord here goes everything, "When were you going to tell us you were dealing with a dead Nazi!"

"I hadn't planned on telling you," I shot back. "He attacked one night back in October. I hadn't seen him since but I remembered him because of what he did. He had taken plants, animals, and he was trying to take a human to further his research. When I tracked him down in the Ghost Zone, I discovered he had taken a ghost with every power level. I only saw him once but that one time stuck with me. It was horrible what he did to them." I looked up to them, reminding myself I owed them a lot. "Thanks, guys. If you hadn't acted like you did, I have no doubt I'd been subjected to some pretty terrible stuff." I shivered.

"I'm not sure about this mental link you learned but I'm glad it worked out," Sam replied.

"What mental link," Tucker asked me. He had ran away with the Ectoranium before I mentioned that.

"Plasmius has been using something called a mental link lately. It's where you link up with someone and you can hear their thoughts or tell them yours. I wasn't sure if it'd work but I knew it was my last hope. Without a cell phone, I was in real trouble," I replied.

"Well, we'd better get back to school," Sam commented. "It's already lunchtime," Sam replied. I left in third period so it's been a while but not too long.

"We don't have to," Tucker replied. "I mean, Sam, Danny's been through a lot."

"Don't try that on me," I remarked. "I'm fine. Let's go before we get into any more trouble."

Before they could even ask, I transformed back into my ghost form, lifted them in the air, turned them invisible and opened their minds. I couldn't see their faces, but I could clearly taste their joy. Without letting them know, I phased upstairs to grab my bag and headed to the school. They couldn't beat me there even if they tried.

While Sam and Tucker went to eat lunch, I went to the office to take care of our two absences and our 'skipped' third period. I got five copies of the excuse from the secretary, giving one to each of our teachers. After that was taken care of, I headed to the lunchroom to meet up with Sam and Tucker. I wasn't hungry so I wouldn't eat.

When I walked into the cafeteria, I noticed that the room was abuzz with chatter. I tuned in to one student out of the crowd, trying to determine what was going on: "She just came out of nowhere. I was running from the ghost and this girl in red just took it down. I couldn't believe it. She was on some kind of board that floated. It was like science fiction."

Valerie? Another ghost attacked today? I listened in to another conversation: "She's been appearing all day. I don't know what's so different from today but the ghosts are attacking. I haven't seen one in at least a week!"

More than one ghost attacked. That is strange. I took a seat beside Sam, still listening in to the conversations. "Did you notice how some were asking for a phantom. They wanted to know where a phantom was? Don't they have names after they die?"

So they were asking for me. Was this attack aimed at me?

"No, no, I don't believe that's what that ghost meant at all. He was shocked… I think it was a guy. He was in armor. But he was asking where the phantom was. You know, Invisobill! He wanted a contest! It has to be!"

Okay, so that was Skulker. When Valerie showed up instead of me, he wanted to know where I was.

"Do you believe Invisobill has been taking care of the ghosts and that's why we haven't seen as many of them? If so, where is he now? Is he hurt?"

Why would they care?

"Earth to Danny," Tucker called, his hand waving in front of my face. I jumped back, not expecting his hand to come in front of my face.

"What," I asked after a moment to catch my breath.

"Are you okay," Sam asked me.

"There have been ghost attacks since we've been gone. Valerie has been taking care of them," I replied.

"Who attacked the school," Sam asked me.

"Skulker for one. I don't know about anyone else. I just know someone identified one in armor."

"Well, we're here now," Tucker replied. "We can handle it."

I nodded but I was still worried. They usually don't attack this close together. I wonder why today is so different.

After lunch, we grabbed our belongings and headed to the gym. I was so not looking forward to this class. Then again, that's nothing different; I never do. Just as I was about to walk in the door, my ghost sense went off and I heard a scream from a different part of the school.

I paused just outside the door, panic racing through my veins. "Guys, go ahead. I'll catch up to you in a minute." I turned around without anything further and darted in the other direction. Valerie had my gym class so she shouldn't hear the scream. I'll find out if she has ghost detectors this way.

Still on the Freshman floor but towards the classes, I saw the culprit. Skulker had returned, probably looking for me. I ducked into an empty classroom and changed into my ghost form, flying through the wall.

"Finally, ghost child, I've been looking for you," Skulker said, his metallic suit displaying artificial emotions akin to what he himself was feeling.

"Well, I'm here now so we can get this on," I shot out. All the kids in the hallway had stopped running, focusing on the fight. In the back of the crowd, I saw Sam and Tucker stop. I took my mind off my distraction, placing my focus on Skulker. I charged at him, knocking him back. He grabbed me by the middle, attempting to throw me off of him.

As soon as I felt him grab my waist, I allowed nature take over, making it difficult for him to hold on to me. I flipped over, rocketing a couple blasts at him to knock him off guard. Skulker activated a cannon, blasting me back. I screamed as I was blasted through a wall but focused on hitting the next one. Once my momentum was cut off, I flew back to Skulker, his animated grin displayed.

Skulker bought up another canon, this one shooting a net at me. Caught in the net, I landed on the ground but sunk through the floor, escaping. I blasted back up through the floor, right under Skulker. Skulker tried to catch himself from falling, but he failed miserably, crashing into the ground. Because his suit was from the real world, he hit the ground.

I blasted a few shots his way, destroying his cannons. I focused on my thermos on my human form, making it appear on my side. I took it off my belt, sucking Skulker inside. I landed back on the ground, taking in the damage. However, what I noticed was the chorus of applause from the students. Some of the guys whistled while the girls done the typical fan-girl screams. I blushed, disbelief crossing my mind. Of course, the blush didn't appear but I was blushing.

I lifted into the air, ready to depart when I felt a claw grab my leg. I looked down in surprise to see Valerie, in her suit, standing on the ground. "Thought I forgot about you, spook?"

I went to say something when I heard a thick Hispanic accent, "Leave him alone!"

"What are you doing," someone else called, backing up Paulina.

"That's the ghost boy," another one called.

"I know that," Valerie barked off. "He's evil! I'm going to—,"

But before she could say anything, one of the kids in the mob surrounding her took their backpack and swung it at her. "Leave him alone! He is not evil! He was framed for what happened to the mayor!"

Soon, a barrage of an attack took place, the kids using anything in their grasps. Most used their backpacks but a few grabbed brooms and mops from the janitor's closets. A slur of defenses came about, knocking Valerie back. I phased my leg out of the claw.

"Hey," I called. Fear gripped me when I realized I had just drew attention to myself. I was a little nervous about speaking but I can't just let them beat Valerie up. I have to at least try. "That's her opinion," I continued once I knew I had their attention. "We haven't exactly had the best of conditions in our meetings. Everyone has their own opinion. I appreciate your help, but she's not the enemy either. She's one of you! I'm a ghost!"

"You are not just a ghost," Dash cried up to me. "You protect us. I know the ghosts would have been attacking before now. You've been keeping them away, just like you told that group that day."

"What happened with the mayor is complicated," I replied, "but this isn't any more justified. She's just trying to protect the ones she loves, just like I am. I don't blame the huntress for her outlook on my mission and I'd hope that you wouldn't either. She's saved you guys today while I wasn't there. I show up and you start attacking her. I don't know what that says to you, but to me it doesn't look good."

"Well, you just protected us all from that metallic ghost and she attacked you," Paulina replied, "Wouldn't you call that the same thing."

"In the huntress's mind, I bring all these threats with me. I don't know, maybe I do attract them but I try to keep people from getting hurt. She has the right to believe I'm evil. Everyone has the right to their own opinion," I remarked.

"Even if that means getting you hurt," Sam spoke up. I glared on her, hoping she'd be on my side here.

"I can take care of myself. I'm a ghost, I don't get hurt. Ghost biology isn't exactly human biology. It's not the same," I remarked, trying to keep a low profile.

"Here's what I have to say about this," Dash spoke up, "It is against Amity Park law to hunt the ghost boy. As soon as I get to my office, this will be passed into legislature. If anyone is caught doing so, they will be arrested," Dash looked directly at Valerie, "and unmasked."

Valerie jumped up without a word, the board materializing below her. She rocketed off, leaving the mess behind.

I groaned but followed suit the other way. Once the rings vanished and left my human form in place, the door opened. I looked up fearful to see Sam and Tucker walk in the room.

"Sam," I shot off, angrily. "Why were you on their side?"

"Because," Sam shot off, "No matter how popular it may become, protecting my friend will always be a top priority of mine!"

"What was that nonsense about ghost biology," Tucker asked me, confused. "Ghosts don't feel? You sound like your parents."

"Well, I didn't want to explain why I couldn't feel," I remarked. "I just wanted to have a plausible explanation to that. You know, just in case they go to Mom and Dad. My parents really believe that."

"And it's a bunch of horseshit," Tucker remarked. "Ghosts are just humans who have passed on to the other side. That's why it's so hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that you can't taste, smell or feel cold."

"Well, those things the ghosts don't have. They don't eat regular food like humans do, they can't breathe, therefore, so they can't smell and they're intolerant to the cold and heat. It makes perfect sense."

"Not as to why you heal so rapidly or say it doesn't hurt when you get injured," Sam commented.

"Yes, it does," I replied, walking towards the door. My friends began to follow me. "Ghosts are more tolerable to pain. They've already died. How much more painful can it get? So when I get hurt, my receptors don't pick up the sensation. Unfortunately, because I can't feel pain, I can't feel cold, or heat, or touch or anything else."

"What," Sam shot out, "You can't feel someone touching you?"

I looked up, "Um, you didn't know that," I asked, confused. "Oh, right. That's something I was hiding from you. Oops."

"Danny," Tucker groaned. "Why didn't you tell us it was more than taste, smell and temperatures."

"Because you guys worry," I replied.

"It's something to worry about," Sam retorted. "We always thought that you could feel that."

"It doesn't matter," I replied, heading towards the gym. We separated, Sam going to the girls' locker room and Tucker and I heading to the boys'.

"Manson, Fenton," Mrs. Tetslaff called, "Form two teams."

"What," I asked, looking at Mrs. Tetslaff.

"Form a team, Fenton, now," she called again.

"But Sam," I asked, confused.

"Is not available," she replied. Sam and I looked at each other worriedly. Finally, I sighed.

"Take Tucker," I commented. "I don't want you two separated."

"But Danny," Sam asked, her eyes searching mine.

"Mikey," I called, picking my first student.

"Tucker," Sam called, taking my advice.

"Lester," I picked my next one.

"Travis," Sam picked her next one.

"Nathan," I picked Lester's twin brother.

"Star," Sam selected.

"Valerie," I picked.

Sam glared at me, but proceeded, "Mia."

"Hannah," I called. The gasps filled the other team and I saw Sam pause for a moment as she tried to find a way to balance the team.

"Nick," Sam tried to even up the score. He had a wicked throw.

"Heather."

"Randy."

"Tiffanie."

"Frankie."

"Devon."

"About time, dude," Devon called, smacking my hand. "I helped you win the game after all, remember."

"I haven't forgotten," I told him with a small smile. "I'm just trying to be fair here. Those two are my best friends. It's not easy pitted against them."

Not to mention dangerous. Sam and Tucker know everything there is to know about me. Not just my secret; everything. They might have the advantage anyway.

"Will."

"Brittany," Sam grunted as we reached the populars.

"Willow," I chose the last good one.

Sam grunted again, "Kelly."

"Kwan."

"Annie," Sam said, disappointment in her voice. I think she wanted Kwan.

"No," Annie cried. "What; you can't have him, no one can?"

I ignored Annie and Sam's quarrel, "Rebecca."

"Chris."

"Ashley."

"Paulina," I said, causing Sam's grin to widen. "That's for you, Sam."

"Thank you, Danny," Sam cried out. "Dash. That's for you!"

I laughed. "You're too kind. Tommy."

"Sarah."

And that was the last of them. The A-List was standing with their mouths open. They haven't been picked last ever! I think Paulina and Dash were the most shocked—they were picked as dedications.

"Okay," Mrs. Tetslaff called. "We're playing Dodge ball again!"

My stomach went into knots. I'd have to face my friends. I guess it could have been worse. She could have chosen Sam and Tucker as the team captains. With the fight that's going on between them, I'd hate to imagine the bloodbath over who would get me.

I studied Sam's team. Sam, Tucker, Nick, Randy and Frankie were the biggest threats. Sam and Tucker for obvious reasons, Nick for his throwing arm, Randy for his speed and Frankie for his unmoral conscious. Dash, Chris, Annie, Ashley, Brittany, Kelly and Sarah were no threat at all. Star, Mia, and Travis could pose a problem if they wanted to but more than likely wouldn't. Star and Travis had good skills but ignored them because of their popularity and Mia was good at math so she could determine velocity and the such but I don't believe they'll be a problem.

The most reasonable solution would be to take out Sam and Tucker first. However, should I do that? They are my friends, after all. Do I take them out because that's the best for my team or do I leave them alone because they're my friends?

I groaned. Ghost Hunting Rule Number Eighteen, do not let your emotions cloud your better judgment. Of course, they were talking about the possibility of coming across a loved one who was now a ghost but I always applied it to the camp. Every one of those kids at camp was my friend but I had to take them out to progress. I'll have to do that here, too.

Mrs. Tetslaff blew her whistle and I got in my stance. I evaluated Sam's team, determining who would be taken out first. Of course, Sam had her eyes trained on Paulina. Oh, curse the heavens for this.

"Paulina, just so you know, Sam's summing you up," I replied. I wouldn't give her anything more than that. "Tucker's aiming at Will. Tiffanie, you can catch the throw that Sarah's throwing. Valerie, go to where Willow is and catch the ball that Chris is throwing, please. No one else is in danger."

Sam's team was pausing as they too tried to come up with a game plan meaning that when the balls started this way on the court; there had been plenty of time. They all paused, wondering if they should proceed and decided to go for it. Paulina stepped out of the way, Will went out and Tiffanie caught Sarah's ball. Valerie dived for Willow, catching the ball as she slid into the court."

"Reid, Abraham, Mathews," Mrs. Teslaff called, "out!"

I summed them up again, Nick rearing back. He had Valerie in his sights. Val was still on the ground, standing up from catching Chris's ball. I walked over towards Valerie, Nick releasing the ball.

"No," I heard Sam call but it was too late. I caught the ball.

"Olsen's out," Mrs. Tetslaff cried.

"Listen to me," Sam said in a hushed voice but I could easily hear her. "No one targets anyone distracted. Danny will see that throw long before you can think it up. He will protect his teammates! Do not target anyone who can't defend themselves!"

I cracked a smile, watching the group. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tommy taking aim for Tucker.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," I said casually.

"And why not," Tommy said.

"Because, he'll see you and you'll be out," I told him.

"How do you know who I'm targeting," Tommy asked, thinking I couldn't possibly know.

"Your body is giving you away," I commented calmly. Tucker looked dead into Tommy's eyes and Tommy dropped the ball in shock. "He sees me talking to you now. That's the only reason he's given himself away. I taught those two everything I know. They aren't the ones you need to target. You want to get someone, shoot Ashley."

"But she's looking this way," Paulina remarked, confused.

"No," I commented, "She's talking to Annie. They're both oblivious to their surroundings. Mia is looking this way."

"That's ridiculous," Heather scoffed. "Mia is looking at the bleachers."

"No," I commented. "Watch her." I walked over towards Devon and I could see her eyes trail me. My teammates gasped as they saw it too. "See."

"What else are you observing," Mikey asked me.

"Brittany is watching Hannah," I commented, "Travis isn't paying attention, thinking the game is paused I think, Sam is observing Paulina again, Dash is planning on taking out the nerds…"

"How do you know he's planning on taking out the nerds," Tommy asked me.

"One, he's Dash. He's that shallow. Two, he's eyeing Lester and Nathan, who are standing too close together and judging how much distance is between Nathan and Tiffanie, if he hits Lester, the ball will bounce off of Nathan and hit Tiffanie in the ricochet."

Nathan and Lester each took a step back while Tiffanie came to stand by me. "Okay, Dash is now summing up Rebecca. It'll be an overhand, so bend down to where your head is below your knees."

Rebecca bent over, her heart pounding in my ears because of how close she was. When she heard the ball slam the wall, she sat up, her eyes wide.

"The ball Travis will throw will be off by an angle because of the ball Frankie will throw. It'll go towards Lester. Nathan, step back three steps, Lester, turn the other direction."

Travis released his ball after he'd calculated it while Frankie released his mindlessly. Frankie's ball slammed into Travis's, sending it careening into the bleachers while Frankie's actually gained a direction. Nathan ran out of the way, way more than the three I told him, while Lester turned around. The ball slammed in to the wall, heading towards me. I caught it.

"Cobert, out," Mrs. Testlaff called.

A chorus of whoa was released, surprising everyone in the room. Even Mrs. Tetslaff's eyes widened a bit, but she quickly stuffed it away.

I picked up a ball, eyeing the opposite team. Most of the idiots had been ousted already, only leaving a few. I picked out Dash and thought, why not? I lightly threw the ball, it slamming into Dash.

"Baxter, out," Mrs. Tetslaff called.

Everyone looked at me, "What? He wasn't looking."

Sam picked up another ball, her eyes trailing over everyone. I couldn't tell who she was going for as she tossed the ball leisurely. "I'm not sure," I called up, panicked. "All I can say is, Paulina, watch out!"

Paulina ran over to me, hiding behind my shoulder. "I'll give you a kiss if you catch that ball."

"What, are you nuts. I'd duck if I was you," I replied. "Sam packs a punch!"

"Just help me," she cried but I kept my eyes on my team. Then I saw it. "Valerie, look alive."

Valerie looked up and noticed her predicament. She was in a perfect angle from Sam: a ricochet. Sam released the ball and it hit the wall perfectly, bouncing into Valerie's direction.

"Don't try to…" but it was too late. She reached up, trying to catch it but it hit her hard in the stomach, knocking her to the ground. The ball slipped from her hand. "catch it."

"Gray, out," Mrs. Tetslaff cried. "Catch failed!"

"Sorry, Valerie," I replied, scanning my team again. I was stupid. I left one of my teammates open to attack.

This has gone on long enough. I scan the area, summing up my teammates. I rubbed my arm, a chill running through my body as I scanned the group. Kwan was fine. Paulina was putting us both in danger. Tommy was fine. Heather was fine. Hannah was fine. Fine. Fine. Fine. Fine. And of course, Nathan, Lester and Mikey were once again making themselves easy targets.

"Nathan, Lester, Mikey," I called. "Separate!"

They instinctively took a step back. I scanned my group again, noticing how Tommy had become timid. I looked across to Sam's team and Tucker now had a ball. I watched his eyes, him telling me who he's going after. "Rebecca, when I say to, run to the end of the court. Don't stop until you get to the white line."

I watched Tucker watch Rebecca. Rebecca was giving herself away to knowing Tucker had targeted her. I scanned the group again. Tucker reared back. "Tiffanie, duck!"

Rebecca took off running, the slightest sound spooking her. I looked back to Tucker and he had targeted Rebecca again. Keep going then turn around at the line. Wait for it. Wait for it. "Come back!"

Rebecca turned again just as Tucker threw the ball. I heard Tucker cuss, loudly. Everyone else heard him too.

"You can sit up, Tiff," I replied. Sam released a ball, catching me off guard. "Damn!" I called, watching the three pins get knocked down.

"Johnson twins and Baker, out!"

And now the score was even. Five out, ten to go. I was stalling the game, allowing them to make the moves but it won't work now. If I keep this up, my team will lose. I don't like to lose. I picked up a ball and I watched how Sam and Tucker froze. Shoot, I thought as I saw Tucker step into an area of vulnerability. Tuck it is.

I watched Tucker's eyes widen as he realized I zoned in on him. I gently tossed the ball, softer than normal but still exceeding human strength limitations. Tucker held his ground and I knew I wouldn't get him. Just as the ball came within his reach, Tucker turned towards the wall, putting his strength into it. The ball chases him to the end of the room, hitting the wall as Tucker dove out of the way and bounced back. The ricochet caught Ashley in the back, scaring her.

"Miller, out. Good job, Foley."

"Danny," Tucker whispered, knowing I could hear him. "I had to reach into training there."

Wait until what I make Sam do. I know her weakness. As soon as I catch her guard down, I'll show her how to beat that level.

Star was the next to drop her guard. I kicked a ball to my hands, gently tossing the ball. It slammed into Star, hitting her in the side. It didn't send her flying but it disqualified her.

"Adkins, out!"

Sam picked up a ball and she started the eye thing again. I scanned the group, trying to determine who was sticking out. No one. She's going for a direct throw. "Paulina," I called, keeping her on her toes.

Sam released the ball and my eyes widened. She's going after me! I looked behind me and three students stood in my path. Damnit, Fenton, you were the one who was in a bad position! She's using my weakness against me. Paulina would be the one to take it if I ducked… no! Not even Paulina should be sacrificed. I can't bump it out of the way. I have to either catch it or go out. Sorry, Sam.

I caught the ball, the impact jarring me but nothing extravagant. I knew if I was a normal person, though, her throw would have sent me flying.

"Manson, out," Mrs. Tetslaff cried. Sam's eyes widened.

I tossed the ball to the other side, taking out Randy.

"Parker, out," Mrs. Tetslaff cried.

Well, that only leaves Tucker, Mia, and Travis that's any good. I kicked another ball to my hand, feeling bored. I knocked Kelly out.

"Jones."

I was so hoping to teach Sam how to beat that level but I had to screw up and collect the pins behind me. Oh, that reminds me.

"Paulina, Tommy, Rebecca and Tiffanie will you please spread out. You're creating a perfect opportunity for Tucker. He knows I won't jeopardize anyone and if I mess up, we're all going."

Everyone but Paulina spread out, standing in a single file. I looked to Tucker and he was bored, too. I released a big puff of air, wishing for this thing to be over already. I should have let Sam keep Hannah. It would have been cooler that way.

I looked across the gym when suddenly this thing came up from the floorboards, in front of me: "Boo!"

Paulina, still behind me, screamed: "Ghost!"

I stared at him in shock. Why… cold. Idiot! "Quiet," I cried, moving around the ghost. I refused to step back to him so I circled him. "No one scream. Try to calm down. He's here for a meal!"

"Well, give him one," Tommy screamed, running away. I looked around the room, noticing how everyone started screaming and running away. I looked back to the ghost, him closing his eyes and savoring every bite.

"You're pretty smart, kid," the ghost replied, opening his eyes again. "Well, in a dumb kind of way. Aren't you scared at all?"

"No, I'm not," I said, deepening my voice and lowering my eyebrows. "You're in my haunt and I suggest you leave."

"Your haunt," the ghost asked, narrowing his eyes, "Those are some pretty stupid words for a human to say."

I looked around the room, noticing only Sam and Tucker there. "Good thing I'm not only a human," I called, transforming. "I'm also a ghost," I said, sending a blast into him.

"The ghost child," the ghost cried, scurrying to his feet. "It is true. You can hold both forms!"

"And you're in my haunt," I said again.

"Yes, of course, halfa. I'm sorry," the ghost replied. "I'll leave at once."

"Back to the Ghost Zone," I said sternly. "No one is allowed out of the Ghost Zone!" I inwardly shivered. I did sound like a conquering ghost.

"Right away, halfa," he called, flying away.

"Danny," Sam said, a little concerned. "That didn't sound like you."

"I'm sorry," I replied, looking down. I changed back into my human form. "I just got really angry. I shouldn't have. He was just coming for a meal. He was so weak that he can't sense energies. If he could, he would have known not to come here. Most ghosts that low avoid power levels as high as mine."

"It's okay," Tucker replied. "Danny's been under a lot of stress, Sam. He's entitled to an off moment."

I don't know that I am.

Sam, Tuck and I took a seat on the bleachers, alone in the entire gym. We had another eight minutes in class and thirteen minutes left of the period. I laid back into the bleachers, taking up three rows. Ten minutes was plenty of time for a nap.

Through my closed eyes, my ears picked up a noise. I heard Sam and Tucker's hushed whispers coming at me next, trying to remain as quiet as possible but still being able to hear each other.

"What do you think is wrong with Danny," Tucker whispered to Sam.

"I-I'm not sure," I heard Sam hesitate. "I'm a little concerned about that trip to Washington yesterday. Danny's acting like he always does when he gets back from an encounter with Vlad."

"But Mom and Dad saw Samuels.

"Mr. and Mrs. Fenton thought they saw Samuels," Sam replied. "You must remember that Plasmius has mind control."

"Do you think that Plasmius made Mom and Dad think they were sending Danny with Samuels? I mean… what would he want with Danny? Why wouldn't Danny get away?"

"Danny doesn't fight Plasmius," Sam said, raising her voice an octave. She lowered it back to their hushed conversation: "He's surrendered to him."

"Danny doesn't surrender," Tucker shot back. "He never gives up!"

"Vlad's broken Danny," Sam said, her voice distracted. "He doesn't have the fight left in him. Do you remember when Danny had that dream about the boy and the woman? How he had shot off—that was the real Danny. The Danny that came back after his flight was the Danny Vlad's created. That week that Vlad had Danny he discovered something. When he had Danny, I'm certain Danny gave him hell but as soon as he returned him, he became tame. It's because during that week, the only person in danger was Danny."

"What do we do to help Danny find himself," Tucker asked.

Sam's voice hummed for several seconds as she stuttered to find the right response. "I don't know. Without Danny opening to us, there is nothing we can do. We have no idea what Vlad is putting him through. We don't even know the man. We have no way of fighting this without a little ammo."

"Well we can't just stand here, watching Danny crumble," Tucker shot up, his voice full strength.

"Shh," Sam silenced him. "I don't know what else to do, Tucker. We have to get Danny to open up to us."

Silence fell over my two friends. Even though I wasn't looking at them, I could feel their eyes boring into me.

XXX

"Manson, Foley, Fenton," I heard Mrs. Tetslaff call through the silent gym.

"Yes, Mrs. Tetslaff," Sam asked, her voice quiet but loud enough for the teacher to hear.

"Why didn't you evacuate," Mrs. Tetslaff cried out, her loud boots clomping on the gym floor. I kept my eyes closed but I sat up.

"It was just a small ghost," Tucker replied. "Two, three power level. It wasn't a threat."

"It was a ghost," Mrs. Tetslaff cried out, her voice displaying the obscurity of the sentence Tucker spoke.

"Which doesn't scare us," I said, opening my eyes. "Mrs. Tetslaff, there's a ghost in my house some time or another." I chuckled and I heard Sam and Tucker stifle laughs as well. I hadn't meant to make that a pun. I was talking about the portal being open. "Anyway, we three understand when it becomes desperate and when it's a minor annoyance."

"So while the rest of your class ran away, you three walked over to the bleachers and went to sleep?"

I looked to Sam and Tucker, "No. I told the ghost to go away and then we did that."

"You can go get dressed now," Mrs. Tetslaff said, sighing, "I'll call the rest of the class to do the same."

I stood up, "Okay." Sam and Tucker followed my lead, Sam heading to the girls' locker room and Tuck and I going to the boys'.

XXX

Home Economics. Oh, the joy of learning to live in today's world. Why don't they make it more practical? Like learning to live with ghosts? I stared at the lemon squares recipe Sam, Tuck and I had to make, the letters blurring. "Why do I have to learn to cook again?"

"So you'll know how to feed yourself when you go to college, ghost boy," Sam said, measuring out the flower.

"But I don't need to eat," I said, rolling the lemon over the counter. "And that's why they have restaurants, isn't it?"

Tucker laughed at my first reason, "Yes, Danny. You don't need to eat so you'll just waste away to bones and flesh."

"That's the only consequence," I replied, stopping my little game. "That's the bad thing about that. I don't need sleep or food but if I don't get those things, I end up looking like the living dead. It's not how people talk about those creatures at all."

"Well even a vampire sleeps in a coffin," Tucker commented.

"Oh, come on," I shot out. "You get to live forever and you waste your days sleeping in a wooden box forever remembering you'll never set foot in one the way the rest of the population will. I don't care, even vampires could spend their days better."

"It could be how Twilight explains it," Sam commented.

"That book you started complaining about," Tucker asked.

"It got way too popular," Sam said, scrunching up her nose. "But anyway, Stephanie Meyer believes that vampires stay awake 24/7."

"Really," I said, cocking my eyebrows. "No coffins?"

"None," Sam said.

"Well, maybe there is someone out there with a little sense," I commented, beginning to roll the lemon again.

"Could you maybe slice that," Sam said, annoyed.

"Do you need zest or juice," I asked.

"Read the card," Sam retorted with a laugh, "It's right in front of you."

"It's like it's written in another language," I commented.

"Then read that language," Tucker joked.

"Fine," I retorted with a soft smile. "Zest." I powered up an energy blast, creating a small block hidden in my hand. I began rubbing the lemon against my energy, the zest falling in the bowl.

"You're finding more interesting ways to use that power," Sam commented, a small smile on her lips.

"I've always liked ecto-energy because it made fighting the ghosts so much more easier but when I discovered it could be used for other purposes, I've really had fun with it. I rarely bathe in the shower anymore. I create my own, making it as hot as I want."

"You can make the water warm," Tucker asked in awe.

"Yeah," I commented. "The same way the blasts hurt when they hit you, it can warm the water. Believe me, ecto-energy can do some amazing things."

"I can't wait to become half-ghost," Tucker whispered as to not attract the attention of our classmates. I focused on my lemon, not wanting to look at their smiling faces. They're making a mistake.

XXX

The lemon bars were done and the teacher was going around, inspecting them. I kept hoping against hope that I could make it through this class and the next without a ghost sense but my stomach was twisting in a nauseating way. I know I haven't seen the end of the attacks during the school day. Something's happened that's making them more restless today and I might have to ask Vlad for a rain check on shopping for apartments. I need to discover what's got them all revved up.

Just as the teacher came over to inspect our lemon bars, I felt a sudden chill and my ghost sense went off. Crap!

"Mr. Fenton, are you okay," Mrs. Powers asked me. She was the original teacher of the class, sticking it out with us.

"I-I'm fine," I said, my heart racing. I could already feel this ghost's power and it made me panicked. "Actually, I have been feeling a little under the weather. May I go to the nurses office?"

"Sure," Mrs. Powers replied. "Do you want Sam or Tucker to join you?"

"No," I replied, "I can do it by myself," I said, turning to Sam and Tucker. Their shoulders slumped, knowing I meant that sentence more to them than to Mrs. Powers.

I ran out of the class, giving Tucker my backpack. I have a feeling I might not be done with this until the next class has already began.

XXX

Stupid, no good, unrighteous animal ghosts. I hate these more than anything because some animals travel in packs. I learned through my ghost hunting that pack animals stick with the same pack through life and it also carries on into the Ghost Zone. Some packs can reach up in the thousands. When going to feed, they do the same thing the other ghosts do: they feed on fear.

When the pack goes to feed, they split up in small groups of a couple hundred and attack the areas with the most people. I had a sub group of forty ghost-wolves attacking the school and I could sense the remaining 160 were somewhere in town. I'll be lucky to be finished before Vlad comes calling. The worst part is this will progress for a couple days while the entire pack goes to feed.

I sent out an ecto-blast, shooting down a leaping wolf. Oh, I hate this! I had eight of them in the thermos already while the remaining 32 were attacking me to claim the right to this land. Each one wasn't particularly powerful; it was their numbers that made them terrifying. Imagine going up against a wolf as a human then imagine going up against one as a ghost. There's not much difference.

I sent out another ecto-blast, roping a wolf instead of shooting it. I pulled my thermos out, sucking him in. Two wolves jumped at me at the same time. I released my energy, blasting them back. Individually, they were maybe a five but together, as a pack, they were a seven or an eight. And that's how they work: in packs. I pointed the thermos at the two that attacked me, capturing them. Eleven down, 29 to go.

XXX

The bell rang, releasing seventh period and I'd only captured fifteen. Great. That means that the ghost wolves were now going to feed, only making them stronger. I tried to keep my head but it wasn't working. As the classroom doors began to open, I heard several of the wolves start growling. Instantly, screams started to flood the hallways, the ghosts becoming stronger. Three of them jumped on me, pinning me to the ground with their strengths returning.

"Danny," Sam and Tucker screamed. Sam swung her bag around to her front while Tucker dropped my bag and followed suit. I sent out another wave of energy, blasting the wolves off of me but when I went to suck them in the thermos, the ghosts pulled out of the beam. They're too strong. I need to weaken them.

Ecto-blasts began firing at the wolves, Sam and Tucker back to back as they started their procession. Sam had a Fenton bazooka but Tucker only had an ecto-pistol. Very rarely did Tucker interfere actively in the attacks. He's mostly a techo-geek but he has had some training. The noise was defening but I tried to ignore it. The rest of the students were hiding in their classrooms so most of this was only reaching them by sounds. A wolf jumped towards Sam and Tucker and I shot out a blast, lassoing it. I yanked on its leash, pulling it back.

I sucked a few they had shot into the thermos, the ghosts too weak to escape the beam this time. Twenty; halfway through. I rocketed a few blasts myself, weakening them further. With the kids scared, the ghosts were still collecting strength but with Sam and Tucker, the odds were more evened out. What was taking me ten minutes to do, Sam and Tucker finished it up before the bell sounded, ending class intermission.

"Next time," Sam seethed, "call us when you're in trouble!"

"Sorry guys," I said, my voice echoing from my ghost powers. "I didn't want you guys to get into trouble."

"That's something you're just going to have to get over," Tucker said, his anger boiling as well. Tucker passed me my bag and walked down the hall. I looked for a place to transform.

**AN: I have a long chapter companion for yesterday's chapter. There's a lot I felt needed explaining. I hope you check it out and drop me a line. On a side note, it was nice to hear from you Forever-stained-crimson. I remembered you from your previous reviews but I hadn't noticed that you hadn't reviewed me in a few days. I'm glad you are still sticking around. I have a few others who reviewed me early on but I haven't heard from in a while. Drop me a line and let me know you're still reading. I love to get feedback.**

**Also, if anyone is finding the companions useful, let me know. I just wrote the companion for this chapter as I was proofreading and I noticed there wasn't a lot to add. If no one is reading them every chapter, I think I will combine them when there isn't much. I will continue to write one for each chapter for Bitter UNIONS but since New Beginnings begins in another three chapters, I will start the new way of writing the companions then. If anyone likes the way it is now, speak up. When I post Saturday, it will be too late. I like to keep things regular.**

**Thanks for your time and drop me a line!**

**Team04Phantom**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom, The Marvel Comics The Fantastic Four or The Flash, MASH or Grease.**

**AN: This story contains rape and male sex.**

**Chapter 15: The Game Changer**

I stared at the substitute that had taken over music class, watching as she had no clue what she was teaching. Being a substitute for the regular subjects was easy, they're something that you deal with day in and day out. But being a substitute for an elective, like music, is quite difficult. The poor woman didn't know a thing about woodwind instruments, making that two of us. Actually, it might be more like fifteen of us.

The woman was glancing down in the book every two seconds, making sure she was telling us the right terms and keeping facts straight. I propped my head on my hand, missing Sam and Tucker terribly. They had art this period and I hated that they weren't by my side. The only comfort I took from this was if a ghost did attack, I'm sure to sense it in time. However, the downside was I may be sleeping when I get it.

I yawned, really feeling the weight of a full night with Vlad. I dreaded tonight and I dreaded when he got a place near here. I'll never get anymore sleep! I yawned again, this time another ghost sense slipping out of my mouth. Oh, for crying out loud it hasn't been ten minutes since the wolves! I raised my hand to be excused when my books went flying, a small tan puppy landing in the place.

"Cujo," I called happily, scratching his ears. "What are you doing, boy?"

"Is that your dog, young man," the substitute asked me, narrowing her eyes.

"No, ma'am," I replied. My mom would never let me have a dog though I'd love to have this one.

"Then where did he come from," the substitute asked me.

"I don't know," I remarked. I hoped she didn't remember me calling him by a name. "May I be excused to take him outside. I'll find out who he belongs to after school." As long as the lights were still on, no one would know he was a ghost. No one knew he was one when he attacked the first time. He was just the size of a small house and it scared the crap out of the kids. Can't blame them. He frightened me for a moment the first time. A massive mastiff indeed.

"Go ahead," Mrs. Stone, I believe her name was, agreed. "You probably won't be back anyway," she added under her breath. It was true. This was one of the few classes I skipped after the ghost was handled. I hated music.

XXX

I walked outside with Cujo securely attached to an ecto-leash, him walking happily beside me. Cujo acted so much like a regular dog. He rarely flew, he never used powers except to maybe go intangible and he only grew to his full size when he was angry. Cujo always sought me out when he wanted to play and his visits always put a smile on my face. Deciding to give up on music, I checked my surroundings and transformed. Now that I was a ghost, Cujo began to act more ghostly, floating around my knees.

"Wanna play fetch, boy," I asked him in a baby voice. Cujo yapped, wanting to play. I formed energy in my hand, imagining a stick. I threw it, Cujo happily fetching it. I loved that dog and I wished I could keep him. I mean, how perfect would it be? My dreams tell me I do adopt him, convincing Sam it would be the perfect pet because he doesn't eat, drink, discreet waste (unless he wants to) and he'll never die.

Right as the bell was about to ring, I noticed Vlad's limo from this morning pull up. I groaned as Vlad Masters stepped out.

"What are you doing here," I asked him, my voice unable to hide my disappointment.

"What are you doing out of class, as Phantom with a dog no less," Vlad asked me. "Who is that mutt?"

"He's not a mutt," I defended, "His name is Cujo… well, at least that's what I call him. He had a serial number when he was alive. Axion Labs gave an order to execute all their guard dogs when they upgraded their security systems."

"That's the event that started this between the C-crew and you and your friends," Vlad asked me. I hadn't told him anything about that but he'd seen it enough in my head.

"Yes," I replied. "When I found Cujo, I was curious as to why this cute little puppy was dead. I done some investigating and discovered 481 dogs missing with no trace of their whereabouts. Tucker done some digging in their systems and discovered the order to dispose of them."

"My word," Vlad replied. "Nearly five hundred."

"They bred them. Their female dogs were half dead to begin with. It was like a puppy mill, except they done it for their own purposes," I remarked. "Sam, Tuck and I lead the investigation that lead to the convictions of twelve responsible persons and now their children are picking fights with us. The way this town works, though, is if you mess with one you mess with them all. There's only three 'dweebs'," I said, air quoting the name of our group, "and the C-crew is a large classification. It didn't help that three kids lead this either, considering the C-crew is leading the coup against the town."

"Well, since you have already skipped school, come on. Let's go pick out an apartment."

"Vlad," I said, hesitantly.

"No," Vlad retorted. "You can find out what's causing the outpouring of the ghosts this evening. I will give you the night off."

"But Vlad, I really need to do this," I objected.

"And I don't," Vlad retorted. "I need to buy real estate, Daniel. Come on!"

"You already own an island and a cabin in Colorado. Why don't you stay there?"

"One, I do not own an island. I found an island that no one knows about which brings about two, I don't anyone finding that island and three, my cabin in Colorado is not for any real purpose. I do odd projects out there. Like what I was planning when I invited your mother."

"Don't remind me," I said, narrowing my eyes. "That truce is over, just so you know. I'm no longer obligated from keeping your secret!"

"And neither am I," Vlad replied, reaching for my arm. His hand went right through, clasping thin air. "Turn human!"

"Okay," I grumbled. I dissolved Cujo's leash and powered down, allowing for him to grab me this time, pulling me into the limo. The bell rang as the limo kicked into gear.

"How do you stand that bell," Vlad asked me. "I couldn't imagine being inside the building."

"It's not easy," I remarked. "But it's not like I have a choice."

"Speaking of school," Vlad remarked. My stomach twisted in knots. "I hired you a tutor. You will meet him tomorrow evening."

I didn't reply, just sank back in the cushion. I was so hoping he'd forgotten about that.

XXX

I sat in the chair of a local real estate agent's office, listening to Vlad drabble on and on about what his requirements were. The agent's co-worker sat in her desk, ignored by Vlad because of her sex. I stood from the chair, softly walking over to the woman's desk.

"Are you busy," I asked her, whispering practically. I don't know why I bothered. As soon as I spoke, Vlad looked in my direction.

"Daniel," Vlad said, his voice having an edge to it. It was nothing like that first week, but there was still a detection of that suspicion.

"I'm just right here," I told him.

"No, sweetheart, I'm not busy. Are you wanting to check out the properties your Dad is checking out," she asked.

I thought about saying he wasn't my father but I thought that might bring up some questions so I ignored the burn in my gut. "Actually, I was wanting to look up something else. Dad," I grunted out, probably sounding like I was punched in the gut, "Isn't taking everything into consideration."

"Okay," she replied a little weary. "What kind of property are you looking for?"

"Well, I'd like something that is isolated, a single floor home, in the price range of sixty to eighty thousand. I'd like for it to be in Elemerton."

"Well, that is quite the difference than what your father is looking for," she replied, but continued. She brought up the results, showing them to me on my monitor. I glanced through them and knew that none of them would satisfy Vlad. However, the last one was perfect.

"Can I see the last property please. 866 Burnwell road."

"Sure thing, sweetheart," she replied. She brought it up, showing me everything.

"Schedule me in for eleven-fifteen tomorrow, please," I replied.

"You want to view the property," she asked me, surprised. "Don't you want to ask your Dad?"

"It's not for him," I replied. "I have a separate company."

"But don't you need," she began.

"No. Please, will you book me or not. I'll pay you if you'll just take this without question," I replied, panicked. I did not want Vlad to know this. I'm hoping he's not reading my mind.

"Daniel," Vlad replied and I nearly jumped.

"Yes, Vlad," I asked him. The woman looked at me, puzzled. "It's business. He's Vlad on business. Dad every time else," I said, trying to cover it up. I laughed weakly.

"I have a scheduled appointment tomorrow at five o'clock. You are to join me," Vlad replied.

"Of course," I said, my voice soft. I looked back at the woman. "I have a small window. Eleven–fifteen is the only time I can do this."

"Don't you have school or something," the woman asked me, a little concerned.

"I'm home tutored," I lied. She seemed to buy it.

"Come on, Daniel," Vlad said, walking towards me. "Stop flirting."

"I'm not flirting, Dad," I said, seething the word. I can't wait until he tries something so I can blast him for this. Before he reached me, I pocketed the appointment card.

XXX

I got dressed as the limo approached my house. Vlad was redressing as well but I didn't want to think about him. The unit in my anus for trying to hide the fact I have an appointment tomorrow has made me a little sore towards him. As the limo came to a stop, I stood up to exit. Vlad grabbed my hand, forcing me to look at him.

"You cancel that appointment, am I clear," Vlad said, anger in his eyes. I don't know why he has got so worked up about this but what I did has gotten under his skin. I nodded my head, not saying a work. I walked out of the limo, carrying my backpack up the stairs. Mr. Lancer is going to kill me for missing detention.

The minute I walked through the doors, Sam and Tucker tackled me. I stumbled back, trying to catch myself. I did not want to land on my bottom.

"What in the world," I asked, steadying myself with my two friends pushing against me.

"What happened," Tucker asked me, fear in his eyes.

"What are you talking about? Is everything all right," I asked. Was there another ghost attack?

"You missed detention," Tucker asked me. "You never miss detention."

"Sorry," I replied. "Cujo came by last period and I took him for a walk. I must have lost track of time."

"Come on, Danny. This isn't the first time you've blown off music but it is the first time you've missed detention. What happened?"

"Vlad called," I sighed, giving in. "I had to get rid of him."

"What," both of my friends roared.

"Nothing happened," I lied, the unit reminding me that in fact something happened. "He just came by and I had to take care of business."

"I don't want you facing him alone," Sam said, her eyes shining. "Danny, he's got you under his thumb."

"He doesn't have me anywhere," I tried to put her mind at ease. "Nothing happened, okay. I'm fine and I'll take another day of detention to compensate for this one."

"Danny," I heard my mom's furious roar. "Come to the kitchen immediately!"

"You guys go home. Finish up your work. I'll pick you up for patrol at six. Go on," I said gently, walking towards the kitchen. Sam and Tucker sat down on the couch, bringing out their homework. I groaned as I passed through the entrance. "Yes, Mom?"

"I just got off the phone with Mr. Lancer," Mom said, her arms crossed. Dad was working on some kind of new invention.

"I forgot," I said, starting to explain. "I was going to call him as soon as I got home but I ran into Sam and Tucker. I had to explain it to them first."

"Danny, you know you're in enough trouble," Mom said, upset. "Why do you keep piling it on yourself, honey?"

"Because trouble loves me and follows me around everywhere I go," I replied, picking up the phone on the wall. I dialed Mr. Lancer's office phone.

"Casper High School, vice-principal Lancer's office. Mr. Lancer speaking, how may I help you," Mr. Lancer answered. I guess with him just getting off the phone with Mom, he was still nearby. At least that problem's solved.

"Mr. Lancer, it's Danny Fenton," I answered.

"Mr. Fenton," Mr. Lancer remarked, surprised. "I didn't expect you to call."

"How are you," I asked after a moment.

"I went to the hospital like you suggested. They released me, clear bill of health," Mr. Lancer remarked. I sighed. "You know, I never asked your parents about that."

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention it," I said, my voice barely a whisper as I got closer to the receiver. "I didn't tell them about that. I didn't want to worry them. So if you could keep that between us, I'd appreciate it."

"Don't you think your parents should know about a lapse in your memory," Mr. Lancer remarked.

"It's no big deal," I said, still low. "I just don't want them to worry. They worry enough as it is. But, Mr. Lancer, if I could get you to not do anything about that missed detention, I'd really owe you one."

"Mr. Fenton, I came back to school so I could talk to you. I'm not really upset about the detention, I just wanted to talk to you. Maybe you could schedule me in for lunch detention," Mr. Lancer asked, his voice hopeful.

"Um," I hesitated. "Actually, I have plans during that time. I'm usually busy through lunch. How about before school tomorrow?"

"I'll be here," Mr. Lancer remarked. "I have bus duty. Dress appropriately."

"Okay, see you then," I replied. "Good evening, Mr. Lancer."

"Good evening," Mr. Lancer remarked. I heard the line click but I remained on the line for an additional minute.

"He really cares for the other students," I replied to really no one but my parents heard.

"Of course he cares," Mom replied. "He's a teacher."

"Yeah, but," I hesitated, trying to find the right words, "he always takes the sides of the A-list. He's easily persuaded with the idea of a bonus. I've always saw him as shallow but I think he's deeper than I first thought."

"Did he let you off," Dad asked me, looking up from his project.

"If I talk to him tomorrow," I answered. "I'll be heading out early tomorrow to chat with him."

"Yeah, that'll be the day," Mom replied. "You barely get out the door as it is."

"I'll just have to stay up all night," I replied quietly, walking out the door.

I heard Mom turn to Dad, "What did he say?"

"I don't know," Dad said. "I don't think that was human!"

I chuckled as I walked into the living room. Halfa language! "Hey, guys, you can go home you know. I'm not going to explode or anything."

"We're fine," Sam replied.

"We are home," Tucker remarked. I shook my head, bringing out my own homework.

XXX

I made it home from the real estate agent's office at 3:45 and before it was five, we decided it might be a good idea to hit the streets. Every fifteen minutes my ghost sense went off. I was starting to get worried. When we hit the streets, the attack sights were spread out. Maybe ten ghosts were at the mall but three were around the Nasty Burger. There was one ghost at the school, interrupting basketball practice.

By the time ten o'clock came around, Sam, Tuck and I were still handling the ghosts. Staring at a level six ghost, I spoke up, "Tuck!"

"Yeah, Danny," Tucker said, breathing hard.

"I'm entrusting you to get Sam home safely. If one hair is out of place, you're responsible," I said, powering up my blast.

"But, Danny, you need us," Sam objected.

"Tucker," I shot. "Get her home!"

"Danny, I'm inclined—," Tucker began.

"Tucker Martin Foley, now," I yelled, taking my eyes off the ghost. "Get her home!"

Tucker backed away, taking Sam by the hands.

"No," Sam fought but she didn't have the strength. They were both exhausted, having pushed their bodies to their limits. I trained my eyes on the ghost, ready to finish this.

XXX

I walked into my house limping, collapsing on the couch. It was six-forty-five and I needed to be getting to school to talk to Mr. Lancer but I was just too tired. I closed my eyes, breathing hard when I heard my mom's voice: "Danny," she spoke softly.

"Mom," I puffed out, surprised I hadn't noticed her before now. "Have you been up all night?"

"The question is, have you," Mom asked me.

"I-I went to Tucker's," I said, trying to cover it up.

"No you didn't," Mom snapped. My eyes widened, surprised at her outburst. "Where have you been, Danny?"

"I have to get to school. I need to talk to Mr. Lancer," I replied quickly, standing up. I put weight on my sore leg and winced at the pain it caused me. I know the only reason I'm hurt is because I'm exhausted. I've been spending a few days with Vlad and I've been slashed by Ectoranium twice. I'm a little susceptible to pain.

"Are you okay," Mom asked me, worriedly.

"I'm fine," I hissed, biting back the pain. "Nothing a few hours of rest won't cure. I'll just have to wait for tonight to do it."

"What," Mom asked me. I looked up. Crap, I spoke that aloud!

"It's nothing. I've got to be going," I said, heading up the stairs. I knew I was doing a poor job because Mom's eyes trailed me all the way up the stairs.

I walked in my room, startled to discover Sam and Tucker sleeping on my bed. I felt my anger bubble. Didn't I tell him to get Sam home safely?

I sighed disappointedly but decided not to push the issue. "Tucker, Sam," I said, opening my closet. "Come on, guys, it's time for school."

"Danny," Sam shot up followed by a groggy Tucker.

"Danny," Tucker copied her reaction. They climbed out of my bed, rushing over to me.

"I'm fine," I said, pulling out my clothes.

"The hell you are," Tucker objected. "You look like hell!"

"I feel like it too," I remarked dryly. "They never stopped coming last night. I'm actually hurt!"

"What," they called, worried.

"It's just because I'm too weak on power," I tried to put their minds at ease. Of course, I couldn't because what I see as good news they view as terrible news. I'm hurt and to me, that's wonderful news. To them, though, they're worrying themselves to death. "Don't worry, guys. It'll heal soon."

"Are you sure it's exhaustion," Tucker asked me. "It's not that Ectoranium stuff is it?"

"No," I remarked. "It's just a cut down my leg. I'll show you guys when I go to bandage it."

"How'd you get cut," Sam asked me, worried.

"Oh, it was just another nighttime ghost. They're always bad news. They're older… more sinister."

"Did you discover anything about why they're coming out more frequently," Tucker asked me.

I took a shaky breath, "Yeah and it's not good. This will be normal. It's taken this long for the news to reach the back flats. Those ghosts don't really travel to the parts we've visited. Now that the word is spread, we'll be dealing with a hell of a lot more ghosts."

"So last night," Tucker said, his eyes wide, "will be normal."

I nodded my head, searching for my clothes still. I was so tired I could barely stand. Finally, I pulled out a pair of blue jeans, a sweater and an undershirt. Now, to get this mud, dirt, blood and goo off of me.

XXX

I landed at the school and sent Sam and Tucker to the cafeteria with my book bag so I could talk to Mr. Lancer. They haven't had breakfast so I packed some meals for breakfast in the invention. They took off one way while I walked to the back. It was now six-fifty-five.

"Mr. Lancer," I called, walking over to him. The pain in my leg wasn't as obvious now, it just still refused to heal properly. I could handle that. It's the sudden jab of pain when I walk that was worrying me.

"Mr. Fenton," Mr. Lancer greeted me. "I didn't think you got up this early!"

No, I'd been up five minutes, I thought to myself but didn't say anything. "I'm really sorry about missing detention yesterday," I replied. "I'll make it up."

"How," Mr. Lancer asked, "Are you planning on coming to the high school after college?"

I didn't laugh. It was a real possibility. "Mr. Lancer, I don't know what answers I can give you but I'll try. I just want your word that you won't tell my parents. Mom worries so easily."

"Just as long as you give me some answers, Mr. Fenton," Mr. Lancer remarked. Oh, boy, Fenton, what have you got yourself into?

"It started Thursday night," I began. "I was out pretty late doing some business when I spotted these four ghosts robbing 24K Jewelry. Now my parents would probably lock me away and throw away the key if they ever found out I've been doing this, but I walk the streets at night and check for any places that might be experiencing a haunting. So when I came across these four ghosts robbing the store, I went to work.

"I never engage with the ghosts because once a hunter starts a hunt, he must complete it or wait to be relieved. I only have one choice if my parents ever show up: stay and get busted. I don't want that to happen because what I'm doing can save lives. The people of this town have no idea how you're supposed to act around a ghost. In times of panic, people make critical mistakes. All I want to do is make sure the people are evacuating on time.

"However, I think that night I got caught. Those ghosts were being controlled to do those things and I believe the man responsible forced me to help him. Every time I saw that staff of his, I would black out. When I woke up, I was doing something wrong. At Sam's house, I apparently scared her parents. When I skipped school, apparently I announced to the entire group what Sam and I had done. Then I was in detention. I remember watching Tucker's podcast on his PDA and then… nothing!"

"Mr. Fenton," Mr. Lancer said, his heart stuck in his throat. "How did you get away from the control?"

I put my hand behind my neck, "That I don't know. I remember waking up on top of a train, surrounded by the ghosts, the man, and my friends. I think Sam and Tucker were so caught up in what happened that they didn't notice you were locked in that closet. They would never endanger someone else to get out of anything. They didn't even know that you had been trapped in the closet all weekend."

"It makes what happened to me seem small," Mr. Lancer said, swallowing hard. "You should really tell your parents but it's your choice. I won't betray your trust."

"Thank you, Mr. Lancer. And I'd also appreciate it if you didn't mention my side job to anyone. I'd hate to be identified as anything other than a dweeb. This school would flip if they knew how involved I was with Ghost Hunting."

"How involved are you," Mr. Lancer asked, his eyes squinting.

"I'm third command in the country," I remarked, holding my hand behind my neck. "In terms of Ghost Hunting, I have more authority than the highest ranking officer in the FBI. I hold more power than Homeland Security even. You know, typical fourteen year old stuff."

"Oh, yeah," Mr. Lancer said, his eyes wide, "I was the fourth most powerful person in the world at your age too."

"Third," I said, ducking my head to sit ashamedly against my chest. "The President of the United States is number four."

Mr. Lancer's eyes widened, his breathing stopping in his throat.

"I'll catch you later," I said, shuffling off. _Stupid! Why did you tell him that? He didn't need to know those kind of details. If this gets out, you'll be known as the freak that you are_!

Nice to hear from you again! You know, I miss being completely sane. I was starting to forget I was insane.

_Oh, can it, Fenton. It's not like you don't have enough problems going off in your life. Now you have to watch out for Lancer. Why didn't you just tell him we were the most powerful person in the world, or at least the third because Vlad and Invincible's beat our asses, or at least fucked it_!

You're the one who wanted to practically crawl to the bastard.

_I was trying to protect us but all you want to do is get us in more shit than we're already in._

Who the hell are you anyway? I'm tired of you mouthing off, pretending to be me. I would never say the things you say!

_Because I know what I must do to survive. If it had been up to you, we'd died in that damn portal. All you wanted to do was curl in a ball and die_!

I wanted to live! I didn't even hear you back then! How could you possibly say that you saved my life the day of the accident?

_Because that's the day I was born, stupid. Somebody had to be the hero! Do you remember thinking that? Do you remember telling yourself that no one was going to rescue you so you had to save yourself? You were too damn scared to do it, so you created me_!

No way. It can't be.

_Yes, you idiot. I'm Phantom! You weren't the one raped that day, I was! You were lucky. You had the opportunity to know what was happening to you when he kissed you. I went for weeks without knowing what happened! That's the reason I left! The minute I needed a hero, you bailed on me like I was nothing but yesterday's news. Damn it, I'm half human too_!

Phantom…

_Save it, Fenton. I shouldn't have said anything_.

You got me through the first two months of this ride. You're right, I should have stuck by your side. I should have been there for you.

_If you could have seen through your own grief, then maybe you would have. You were spared. I kept my promise and I absorbed as much of that as I could… but there was only so much I could take. That's the reason Christmas was so much worse. It had a lot to do with the fact he was ghost while you were human, but I swear to you, ghost sex is unimaginable. I hope you never have to experience it_.

I walked into the cafeteria, watching my friends eating breakfast. I didn't know what to say back to Phantom. I've always known we've had two separate identities, one strong while the other was reserved, but I had no idea he was real. I never imagined the voice of reason I always heard was Phantom. I should have, though, Phantom has always been the better half of me.

I sat down beside Tucker, something that is completely unlike me. While I'm closer to Tucker, I usually sit beside Sam because she's the girl. Of course, if Sam knew that was the reason, Tuck would probably be the only guy. They looked at me weirdly as I plopped down beside Tucker, laying my head on the table.

"Are you okay," Sam asked me.

"Not really," I said, my words slurred. "I'm ten kinds of tired!"

"Do you want to go home," Tucker asked me.

"No," I remarked though it was a flat out lie. I want my bed. Hell, I want Dad's teddy!

"Come on, Danny, just go home," Sam remarked. "We'll collect your work and…"

"Can you handle the ghosts too," I asked, sarcastically.

I should have seen this coming. "Yes!"

"Just wake me when the bell rings," I remarked, closing my eyes. Fifteen minutes could do wonders for a half-ghost freak.

XXX

"Danny," Sam's voice woke me up. "Again, not an alarm."

"Damn it," I groaned, sitting up. I stretched, hoping I wouldn't bend like Mr. Fantastic. I finally rectified myself. "Sorry, guys."

"We're the ones sorry," Tucker said, picking up my backpack. "We wish you could have kept sleeping."

"Unless you invented school, don't apologize," I replied, taking my backpack from Tucker before he could carry off with it. "I should carry your books."

"We're not the heroes," Sam snorted.

"Well I sure as hell aren't one either so I can carry my own bag," I retorted. They know how I hate being called a hero. I say it once and they cart it off. I was my own hero once and now I'm learning it was Phantom who filled that role.

We walked to class, Sam and Tucker smiling at each other. I swear them two are something else. I walked into science class, ready to get this over.

I glanced up towards the front once we three had taken our seats and nearly fell over from surprise. "Do you guys see that," I asked, my voice shrunken.

"Uh huh," Tucker replied, his voice mirroring mine.

"Mr. Fuluka in two classes," Sam seethed, her eyes nearly flashing. I imagined them turning orange but shook it from my memory. They might not have the patients, but I have the patience of Job when it comes to my friends becoming half ghost.

"Good morning, class," the man in his nasally voice announced. "I will be completing the lessons Mr. Highman marked out. This class will remain as it is but any of you with my third period class, Daniel, will be joining me in here. Okay, remove your books."

"Oh," Sam fumed, "You need…"

"Sam," I shot up, pulling her back from climbing over her desk. "Down, girl!"

"That man is getting on my nerves, Danny," Sam said loud enough for everyone to hear. "I'm about to do something he's not going to like!"

"Sam, all things come to pass," I remarked but added mentally, except half ghost powers. "You just need to calm down."

"I'll calm down when he stops signaling you out," Sam seethed.

"Come on, Sam," Tucker said, reaching over to put his hand on hers. "We know what's important. Humiliating a little man is not important."

"Will you two cut it out, now," I said, looking between my two friends. "This is my fight and no one else's, understood!"

"Has Mr. Fuluka been harassing you, Danny," Dash asked me.

"What do you care," I asked. "It's none of your business."

"Mr. Baxter, I'll have you know that he snuck out of my classroom and tried to sneak back in without getting caught," Mr. Fuluka remarked, trying to get me in trouble with the King of the A-List. Oh, please!

"And what did you do about it," Dash asked him.

"I ended up letting him off the hook because his parents threatened to call the school board. But I wanted to suspend you," Mr. Fuluka said, looking in my direction.

"You're lucky you dealt with my parents and not my boss," I remarked, looking at him. "My boss is friends with every high ranking official in this country, I mean down to litter commissioners, and he's got this kind of obsession with my education. You might have lost your job if you'd done that."

"That's what your parents were threatening to do," Mr. Fuluka shot back, completely unprofessional, "What's the difference?"

"The difference," I said, my voice calm, "my parents would have got you transferred or on administrate leave. Samuels would have you banned from every teaching job on this planet and, if he could, this universe. Samuels might have even had your identity cleaned like they do to burned spies if you gave me more than one day."

"Your boss seems pretty important," Mr. Fuluka said sarcastically.

"One last thing, then begin teaching: ask anyone you know in the Department of Education about Homeland Security, Division G and see what reaction they give you. Then you'll understand how lucky you are you dealt with my parents. They hold a high regard to the educational system."

XXX

About half way through class, I felt the sudden chill of a ghost sense. You have got to be kidding me, I groaned. I really need to learn how to duplicate! I raised my hand, how bored I was probably showing on my face.

"Are you needing excused, Danny," Mr. Fuluka asked me, his voice sarcastic.

"You've got it," I replied, bored. "This is going to be hell for the rest of my life!" I stood up, handing Tuck my book bag, "If I'm not back, get my books for English!"

"You want us to tag along," Tucker asked me as he took my bag.

"No. And don't come looking for me. I'll get in contact with you if I need you."

"Okay," Sam said, sliding down in her desk. As I ran out the door, I caught sight of her tapping her pencil's eraser against her science book. I'm not even out of her sight yet and she's already worried.

I hurried into an empty classroom and transformed into my ghost half. _Let's get to work_, I heard a distant voice. Now I was the subordinate half.

Good to have you back, Phantom.

_Good to be back!_

It felt so weird to be doing this again. I had forgot how in ghost mode I always felt like someone else was leading, calling the shots. After the reunion, I had felt so lost and weak. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. I had forgot how Phantom always seemed to take control when I went ghost. Of course, back then I didn't know it was Phantom. I always contributed it as my ability to set myself apart, to see the fight from a distance. Now I know better; after the reunion, Phantom had backed away. He let me lead the way but I felt so lost without him, I didn't know which way was up.

Hey, Phantom, I asked him.

_Yes, Danny_.

Was it you who pulled me out of that man's control?

Phantom was quiet for a while as we tried to locate the ghost on the school grounds. Finally, he spoke up. _Yeah, it was me, Danny. When that staff took over you, it reawakened me despite that I didn't want to be woken up. You could say it was my alarm. But I still wasn't strong enough. I would fight with it, determined to gain control of ourselves again. You helped too… but mostly, it was Sam_.

Seeing her falling… hey, do you sense that?

_I sure do, bro_.

It's a five… no, lower. It's a four.

_Definitely. And it's not in the high school. It's at the elementary_.

We've got to go! The hooligans are over there!

_On it!_

We rocketed towards the elementary, finding an entire classroom surrounding a small black ghost wearing blue overalls and playing with boxes. We both groaned. It's a five!

"Boxy," I called, catching his attention.

"I am the Box Ghost," Boxy called, trying to wail. "You will fear me and my cardboard fury!"

A loud shriek of joy filled my ears, causing me to wince. Maybe I should worry about the children. They're more of a threat. "Ghost boy," they shrieked, running over to me.

"Uh, hi," I said as one little girl kept trying to hug me. She kept falling through me. "What are you doing?"

"You're intangible," she cried. "But you're not blue!"

"Blue," I asked confused. "And I'm not intangible. Ghosts just can't touch or be touched by objects in this world unless we allow it. Are you wanting to hug me?"

"Well, duh," she retorted, much too old for her actual age. "You are our hero!"

"I'm Public Ghost Enemy Number One," I remarked, in shock. "Nobody likes me!"

"That's only because of that thing with the mayor," another young girl remarked.

"Hello," Laura walked over to me.

I forgot what form I was at first, answering, "Hey, L—Little girl," I corrected myself.

"Hey, I was wondering," Laura said. I listened intently, "Do you want to go by Invisiobill or Danny Phantom?"

My eyes widened, "How do you know that name?"

"Well, that's what the name of the series is and that's what your name is on the show so I'm thinking that's what you want to go by…"

I swear I think I fainted. I was still standing so I couldn't have but I could feel my world crashing around me. "You watch the show?"

"All the time," the little girl trying to hug me earlier remarked. "Can I get that hug now or am I going havta play mean!"

I focused on picking her up, lifting her into my arms. "So if you watch the show, you think that I have a human form."

"We don't think, silly," Laura replied. "We know!"

Courtney's words swirled in my mind, _I know he's super and all, Dan, but geez, can you treat him human_. They've known. That's why they've been coming around and hanging around me. Oh, man, I need to sit down.

"Are you okay, Danny," Laura remarked. "Or, Invisiobill. Please tell me it's Danny Phantom. That is much cooler."

"It's Danny Phantom," I said slowly, trying to calm myself down. "Does everyone here know?"

I glanced at all their faces, each one nodding. Oh, God. Phantom, forgive me. I triggered the rings, returning to be the dominate of us two. I sucked in a deep breath, trying desperately not to pass out now that I could from lack of air. In. Out. In. Out.

"Cool," the kids shrieked.

Innnnnn.

_Breathe out, Danny_.

Outttttt.

_Breathe in, Danny_.

Make your mind up! They know. They know. An entire school knows my secret. Innnnnn.

_Out_.

Outttttt.

"How long have you guys known," I asked, completely surprised.

"Well, most of us have been watching since the beginning but we didn't realize it was real until Splitting Images real day. Bully Week."

"Oh, my God that was back in October!"

"It has always been really weird but that's when we said it was real!"

"Oh, my God. That was back in October!"

_You've already said that_.

Give me a break! Your entire identity is Phantom! I'm the one who has to deal with the exposure.

_Hey, I'm the one hiding that I'm the wimpy Danny Fenton_, he kidded with me.

This is not funny!

"Danny," Laura said, taking my hand into hers. "Are you okay?"

"How many people know of my secret," I asked her, trying desperately to control the breaths I took. Not too many, not too few.

"Most of the grade school knows but all of the middle school knows," Laura remarked. "There are some of the younger kids who think it's too scary to watch but Courtney got all the middle school to watch, even the ones who have stopped watching cartoons."

"The entire middle school," I asked, my eyes widening. "Meaning next year a class at the high school will know… oh, my God, does anyone in the high school know?"

"No," another little girl scoffed, "'It's a cartoon. I'm not watching that with you. That's for babies'," she mocked.

"I get the same thing," a boy groaned. "No one wants to watch a cartoon even though it's real! They won't even listen to us!"

"What about your parents," I asked them.

"Mommy and Daddy don't care what I watch," another child remarked. "They've never even asked about what I watch."

"Anyone else," I asked, starting to calm down.

All the kids remained quiet and I took that as none of their parents knew. Most of these kids had siblings in the high school and my parents were probably connected to three-quarters of their parents. If one of their siblings or parents watched that show, my secret would be blasted out of the water.

_Don't worry so much. I mean, think of it this way: thousands of people know your secret but what they don't know is you're real_!

Not helping!

We'll be fine.

"Okay, Boxy, time to go back to the Ghost Zone. You can go willingly or I can suck you in the thermos. What'll it be?"

"You cannot contain me in a cylindrical container, ghost child, for I…"

I caught him in said cylindrical container, "Am the box ghost. Yada, yada, yada!"

"It's a real thermos," one of the kids cried, ripping it out of my hands. "How do the ghosts fit in there?"

"I have no idea," I remarked. "My parents are brilliant inventors. I actually wondered the same thing when Mom caught me in the Fenton Weasel."

Another little girl looked at me strangely. "When did you get captured by the Fenton Weasel? I don't remember that happening on 'Attack of the Killer Garage Sale.'"

"Good name," I said, laughing. "But that's because it didn't happen there. I was captured in the Fenton Weasel two weeks ago."

"So it hasn't aired yet," an older girl, probably fifth grade, said.

"Yeah," I said, relaxing. "We're finally ahead of the show. For the longest time, we were behind it."

"How," Laura declared in shock.

"You'd have to ask Butch… or the producers about that," I commented. Then my eyes widened, "Actually, never talk to anyone from the show. I'm not sure how this is possible but I don't want them to know this is real!"

"How do you know they don't know it's real," Laura asked me.

"Because I had a dream of it," I remarked. "Butch Hartman showed up on my doorstep and told me to get back inside his head… and apologized to my father."

"Why would he need to apologize to your father," another child asked.

"Well," I remarked. "This is the last question. You guys can come over after school if you want to talk some more. We all have to get back to class. Anyway, Dad isn't that large. Dad is tall, I mean really tall. He's six foot three. Also, Dad on the cartoon has two inch legs. Dad's legs are incredibly long. Also, Dad appears heavy set in his hazmat suit but the show exaggerates that. They've really cartooned him."

"Do you have to go, Danny," Laura asked me, tugging on my blue jeans and looking up at me with those deep blue orbs.

"Yes," I smiled down at her soft blonde curls. "I'm in enough trouble for skipping classes!"

"Okay," Laura said, her eyes shining slightly. "I'll see you after school!"

"Okay," I said, tossing her hair. I disappeared from their sights, flying back to the high school invisible.

I returned to science class with five minutes to spare. Just enough time to copy down any notes on the board. Sam and Tucker both released breaths of relief when I walked through the door, Mr. Fuluka casting a glare in my direction but not saying anything. I took my seat, Tucker handing me my bag. I dug out paper and pen, jotting down the notes on the board. I finished the notes, returning my belongings to my backpack. The bell trolled, releasing us from our prison.

"Hey," Sam said, catching up to me. I slowed down, realizing I was walking like Flash from Marvel comics.

"Hey," I said.

"Who was it," Sam asked me.

"Box Ghost," I simply replied. "He was at the elementary school."

"You went to the grade school," Sam asked, her eyes widening.

"Yeah," I commented, not seeing the big deal. "Why?"

"I mean…" Sam paused as she tried to find the right words, "It's at least 200 meters away. How did you know to go there?"

"My ghost sense has a pretty wide area," I replied. "I sought out the ghost's ecto-signature and it took me to the elementary."

"Ecto-signature," Sam asked, surprised. "What's that?"

"Oh, right," I declared, "I forgot I hadn't told you about that. You guys have seen my ectoplasm of course but where humans have DNA strands, ghosts have ecto-signatures. Every one is different, just like DNA strands."

"How did you learn that," Tucker asked me.

"It's common knowledge in the ghost hunting community. You wouldn't find that in the theory book. It's not a theory. Just like how the power levels aren't in the book, that wouldn't be either. It's common belief."

"Are you sure it's true," Sam asked me. "I mean, they do have you listed as a fifteen when you're only an eleven."

"Yeah, the ecto-signature is true. Otherwise, all ghosts would mirror themselves. The ecto-signatures give them individuality the same way DNA give us our genetics."

"That's probably what it is," Tucker commented. "We could do a comparison of your ecto-signature and your DNA to confirm."

"That sounds like a good idea," I commented. "Sam, what do you say?"

"I love sticking needles in you," Sam said, her smile teasingly.

"I know you do," I commented, stopping at Tucker's locker. I opened the metal rectangle, removing Tuck's and my book, putting our science books inside. I closed the door, dropping the book in my pack. We proceeded to Sam's locker.

XXX

"Good morning, class. I would like to apologize for my absence yesterday and the substitute's behavior. She will not be allowed back at Casper High," Mr. Lancer remarked.

"I tried to get the witch fired," Dash remarked. "Someone went over the Governor's head."

I smiled softly, sinking in my seat. Sam and Tucker grinned at me. At least I could help her out a bit. It wasn't fair. She didn't know.

"What happened to you, Lancer," Chris asked him.

"I had to be gone for personal reasons," Mr. Lancer remarked, looking to me. I sunk deeper into my chair, wishing to be able to escape his gaze. Oh, it's worse when you want to vanish but can't because of other reasons other than it's impossible.

"Everything turn out okay," Star replied, cocking her head to the side.

"Everything's fine, Miss Adkins. I promise I won't miss another day if it's possible," Mr. Lancer remarked.

"It's just that it's not like you," Dash replied. "You have never missed a day as far as I can remember."

"Not in a while," Mr. Lancer replied sorrowfully. I sunk further. Sam grabbed the back of my disappearing shirt and lifted me up.

"You're about to go under," Sam retorted.

"I feel like a sinking ship," I whispered.

"I was accidently trapped in the supply closet," Mr. Lancer said slowly. "I was a little sick for being locked in there for so many days."

"What," Dash roared. "How come the janitor didn't find you?"

That's a good question. I hadn't even thought of that. "He did," Mr. Lancer remarked, his voice displaying his annoyance. "He even told me he'd see me Monday!"

Dash stood up, sending his desk a few feet back into a few chairs.

"Mr. Baxter, don't do anything," Mr. Lancer remarked.

"You don't want me to do anything," Dash asked, incredulous. "He left you to endure without food or water for two days in a building with no heat!"

"Go get the petition," Paulina remarked. "We're not taking any more prisoners."

"The A-List is called that because we are number one," Ashley retorted. "We won't be allowing any more coups!"

"If only they knew about the biggest one in history of the wall," Tucker spoke barely above whisper.

"It's none of our business," I whispered back to him. Inside, I was burning as well. That stupid janitor left him knowing he was trapped. I don't care! In my book, that's attempted murder.

Dash walked out of the classroom and Mr. Lancer lowered his head. I looked up and was surprised to know we locked eyes. Mr. Lancer sent me a warm smile. At least he doesn't have any hard feelings.

XXX

Second period had ten minutes left when I felt the chill. I grunted out loud, beyond frustrated. Stupid ghosts!

"Mr. Fenton, is there a problem," Mr. Lancer asked me.

"May I be excused," I asked, my anger clearly visible in my voice.

"There's only ten minutes left of class," Mr. Lancer pointed out.

"I know that," I groaned. "But duty calls!"

"Danny," Sam hissed in a low voice.

"I think it's Skulker," I whispered back. "I'm starting to pick up the differences."

"Why don't you wait the ten minutes," Mr. Lancer remarked, returning to his work. My eyes widened.

"You're saying no," I asked stupidly.

"Yes," Mr. Lancer remarked. "There's only ten minutes."

"Ten minutes is plenty of time," I cried out. Okay, Fenton, calm down. He doesn't know it's a ghost sense. He thinks it's my 'overactive bladder.'

"Exactly," Mr. Lancer remarked. "Now, please, be quiet."

Oh, boy, it won't be quiet in thirty seconds.

"Danny," Sam whispered to me. "What are you going to do?"

"What choice do I have," I shot to her. "Normally, I wouldn't mind but I locked him in a closet Friday. I'm on thin ice!"

Tucker picked up his backpack, "I'm not!"

"Tucker," I called out as I noticed him getting out of his desk. "Tuck, no!"

"I'll take care of it," Tucker remarked. My heart jumped in my throat and I noticed Sam's own panicked expression. I grabbed my bag, slinging it over my shoulder.

"Mr. Foley, where do you think you're going," Mr. Lancer asked harshly.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Tucker called, opening the door.

"Tucker," I called, running out the door.

"Mr. Fenton—Miss Manson! Animal Farm, people, what's going on!"

"Tucker," Sam cried out. "I know you're good at that thing but he has cannons!"

"That can hit humans," I cried, closing the gap between us. I caught his arm, stopping his procession. "Tucker, you can't go up against him… it might not even be Skulker. I could be mistaking the signature!"

"You three," Mr. Lancer cried angrily. "Stop this instant!"

"Hello, ghost child," I heard the familiar voice. I spun around, surprised I hadn't picked up on him sooner. "Are you ready for your pelt to hang over my fireplace yet?"

"Um," I said, crouching, "Not exactly. I kind of enjoying keeping it to myself."

"So not amusing," Sam said, removing her spider backpack. "Are you ready to be fished with?"

I laughed out, losing focus for a minute. Sam wants to fish with Skulker. Wow, that's an odd thing for her to want to do. I noticed my hair move from out of my eyes and then I crashed into the wall. "Shoot!" I cried. "You'll pay for that!"

"Mr. Fenton," Mr. Lancer cried. I froze.

"Mr. Lancer," I stuttered. "What are you still doing here?"

"My students are starting to exchange witty banter with a ghost, Mr. Fenton," Mr. Lancer remarked. "I could hardly leave!"

"Tucker, shut that suit down. I want to study his upgrades," I called, coming to my feet. "Mr. Lancer, run. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"What about you three," Mr. Lancer asked me, startled.

"We can take care of ourselves. He's not a really powerful ghost… he just has an incredibly powerful suit. Tuck can shut it down though. Go!"

I charged at Skulker, knowing it would be so much easier to defeat him in human form. With the way ghosts and humans are from different dimensions, every time I try to hit his suit in ghost form, I have to focus. If I lose concentration, Skulker can use it to his advantage however in human form, we'll be from the same dimensions… well, at least his suit will be from my dimension. Skulker himself isn't even from this planet originally.

Just before I would come into contact with Skulker, I done a back spring, blasting him with a powerful kick. Skulker was sent caroling away while I managed to land on my side. I came to my feet immediately, seeking Skulker out with my eyes. I took in his busted up form, a large hole in the wall where he laid, covered in debris. Skulker's animated eyes scanned the area, taking in his surroundings. Skulker's jetpacks rocketed to life, hurling him towards me. I slid out of the way, crouching down until one hand on the floor balanced me.

"Surrender, child! I am the Ghost Zone's greatest hunter," Skulker ranted. I wonder if he advertises in the Ghost Zone.

"Yeah," I asked, my cockiness rearing itself. "Well, you aren't in the Ghost Zone! You're on Earth and here, I'm the best!"

A rocket launcher popped up from one of his various weaponry containment units, the unit whining as it came to life. I lifted up from my crouch but still remained connected to the fight. As the launcher released its blast, I took off to the right. The missile trained on my ecto-signature, following my diversion. I turned back around, holding perfectly still.

As the missile nearly rammed into me, I done a backflip through the air, causing it to run below me. I landed facing the opposite direction, summoning ghost energy in my hand as the missile returned. I shot the energy, the missile exploding immediately. I brought out another ectoplasmic shield, capturing the fragments.

"I see you're learning from Plasmius," Skulker remarked. "He has shown interest in you, ghost child."

"Of course," Tucker remarked, looking up from his PDA, "It's best to be the right hand of the devil than stand in its path!" Skulker's suit whined to a stop, his green automated eyes fizzling to a lifeless form.

"Nice work, Tuck," I said, my voice soft.

"Something wrong," Sam asked me.

"I just wonder how much Plasmius has told Skulker," I wondered aloud softly.

"How much should he know," Sam asked me as Tucker came to stand by us.

"I hope nothing," I replied.

"I mean, does he really have connections to him or is it all rumor."

"Oh, no, he has connections to him. The night of the reunion, Skulker attacked me. That was one of the closest times I ever came to losing."

"You never told us you faced Skulker that night," Tucker asked me. "How did you beat him? That was before the first day of the new year."

"I didn't beat him," I commented. "Skulker caught me, Plasmius revealed to me his plan, began the assault and if it hadn't been for the Dairy King, Dad probably would have died that night."

"What do you mean he caught you," Sam asked me. "How?"

"Skulker designed this object that once activated expands around me until I'm trapped in this cube. Once inside it, I can't use my powers and Skulker used it to power me down. I think that's how he designed the Plasmius Maxmius. How he figured out how to extend the time to three hours I don't know, though."

"Who's the Dairy King," Tucker asked me.

"A bold face liar," I grumbled. "That Gouda was so not fresh!"

"Uh…"

"He's the original owner of Vlad's castle… which blew up. Oh, wow, I bet he's not happy. He's a ghost who hangs around Vlad's castle and he freed me from the box."

"Vlad's castle blew up," Tucker strangled out.

"Haven't you heard that on the news," Sam asked, then turned to me, "They say it was a gas leak. What was it really?"

"You remember that horrible beeping noise through that time I had the bounty on me," I asked her.

Her brow furrowed, "Yeah…"

"It was an ecto-filtrator warning. If it's not changed every six months, the portal blows up from negative energy. Vlad wasn't as lucky as we were," I cracked a smile.

"Okay," Tucker commented, clearly not getting how close we came to losing everything that day. That's okay. They don't need to know everything. It doesn't include them anymore.

"Well, you need to get back to class. I need to take care of Mr. Lancer. Clean up that mess," I commented.

Tucker looked wildly around the hallway, "Did he see?"

"No," Sam commented. "He tried to be brave but when Skulker released that missile, the man ran out of here like grease lightning."

I chuckled at Sam. "Well, anyway, I still need to erase the fact we were hunting a ghost from his mind. It was only one person so I can do that. Unfortunately, Walker's stupid invasion was too large to erase."

"Can we watch," Tucker asked, excited like a small child.

Sam was excited but not to the extent of Tuck, "Yeah! I've always wanted to see that maneuver!"

"Sure," I smiled at them. "I've always wanted to show you guys that too!"

XXX

After a few minutes on Tuck's cell phone, I received the proper paperwork from the government. We didn't return to class since I allowed Sam and Tucker to observe. Only one Divisional Agent is supposed to initiate the erasing but I saw no problem in training them. Around ten minutes later, five minutes into third period, six soldiers walked in.

"Special Agent Radar," one of the marines addressed me, saluting.

I returned the salute, "We have a breech in code and need to initiate Operation Big Foot. Have you brought the proper equipment?"

"Yes, sir," the marine announced. "We are prepared to initiate Operation Big Foot on your orders, sir."

"Follow me," I announced, turning to walk down the hallway. I sent my mind out to the grounds, searching for terror. I tasted the chicken immediately, the smell overpowering. I followed the sense, suppressing a gag reflex. It lead me straight to an empty classroom where Mr. Lancer was huddled. I stepped aside, "This is the subject."

"We will proceed immediately if you wish, sir," the marine said.

"What's going on," Mr. Lancer sat up. "Who are these soldiers?"

"Initiate Operation Big Foot," I ordered. The marines retrieved the proper equipment, setting up.

"Mr. Lancer," I began, "You have observed key information regarding National Security and have been sentenced to undergoing Operation Big Foot. You may not object to this ruling and soon after, you will not be able to recall the event of which you observed. You will be free to go as soon as the order has been satisfied. Do you understand these rules?"

"No," Mr. lancer cried. "What do you mean I'll forget?"

They never do, "Begin process."

"Yes sir," the marines all honored as they began the process. I sat back, allowing my men to complete the task. Soon, Mr. Lancer was sound asleep.

"Mr. Lancer," I asked to the sleeping teacher. "Do you remember observing the fight in the hall way?"

"Yes," Mr. Lancer replied in a trance state.

"That never happened," I began, my voice going softer. "You stepped out of your classroom to follow Sam, Tucker and Danny but they were gone. You went to the office to write up the detention form but when you arrived, Danny was there. Danny gave you a slip of paper excusing the action and you dropped the detention. You will return to your class with no recollection of the fight and with no intentions of punishing Sam, Tucker and Danny. Am I clear?"

"Return to class. Sam, Tucker and Danny are not in trouble. Actions excused. I understand."

I looked to the marines, "Proceed to next step."

"You will awaken to the screech of the mysterious big foot and proceed to follow your orders. As soon as you feel the pop, you will completely awaken and follow the orders given to your earlier." The marine placed a small green ball in Mr. Lancer's pocket. It was my parent s' invention that was controlled by a remote control. As soon as we were ready for him to awaken, we would explode the ball and Mr. Lancer would experience a small pain. To him, it would feel like his heart was racing. The scream and the panic… that's how the big foot rumor got as big as it did.

XXX

"That was so cool," Sam declared. "Why is it called Big Foot?"

"That operation was created at the same time as the Guys in White. The Director at that time was really big into fables and supposedly top secret agencies. The Big Foot rumor had been thrumming through the area so he thought 'why not use that as a way to protect the citizens from knowing ghosts exists'. Most of the people who 'see' big foot, have seen a ghost actually and when they awaken from Operation Big Foot, they remember the scream and their hearts race. Thus, they imagine what the sound was and that's why so many people report seeing a Big Foot. Ever notice how they all resemble each other?"

"That is so cool," Tucker commented, his smile obvious from space. "It was so much cooler than I even thought it was!"

"I have to admit," Sam smiled at me, "That was impressive." She snickered, "Special Agent Radar. How did you get that nickname?"

I laughed, "You remember when I took up a fascination with MASH? Well, Samuels called me Radar one day and I asked him what it meant and he said it was a character from the show. As soon as I watched it, I saw it. I was just like Radar… finishing Samuels' sentences, producing documents before he asked for them, knowing more about things than even he did. That's how I got that nickname. I'm Samuels's Radar."

Sam and Tucker chuckled. They've seen that in action before but never connected it. I can't explain it. I can be so lost but when I become 'Radar', it's like I know everything. If Samuels calls the house, normally I pick up the phone. That's the reason I relaxed in the limo Sunday. Mom and Dad would perfectly understand how I knew Samuels was coming to get me and get dressed appropriately. I was worried before but as soon as Vlad told me that they were 'seeing' Samuels, I stopped worrying. It was a perfect excuse. The froot loop got something right.

XXX

We walked into the science classroom where Mr. Fuluka's classes were just before the first ten minutes had elapsed. Sam and Tucker proceeded to their seats while I commented, "There will be an excuse in your mailbox at the end of school. If you want to mark it as unexcused truancy, you can but as soon as school is over, it will be excused."

I continued to my seat without another word, pulling my desk over to Sam and Tucker's. How much time would pass before I got another ghost sense? This is getting ridiculous! How am I supposed to get anything done if I'm running out of every class to go fight a ghost? And don't get me started on the nighttime's from now out. I'll never get anymore sleep. How is a half ghost supposed to get by on this?

I brought my math book out on my desk and quickly began class. Sam and Tucker had already began to follow Mr. Fuluka's teachings but my mind was elsewhere. I have to get a game plan together. I can't go chasing down ghosts every period… yet, I can't ignore the ghosts either. It is my responsibility. But so is passing high school. How do I juggle my responsibilities… then I can't forget my home life and Vlad. How am I supposed to go chasing down the late night ghosts if I'm with Vlad? He won't just allow me to leave. He'll try to get me to forget about it.

Oh, what am I going to do? I thought I was finally getting my life on track again. I thought I was on the right path for success then this came flying at me. The ghost thing is becoming a hassle. I won't be able to keep this up for much longer. This is the second night I've gone without sleep. I can take many more but soon the effects will begin to appear on my human half. If I give Mom and Dad anymore causes of concern, I'm screwed. That cover story about helping the kids escape can only float so far on this tide. What happens when the tide destroys my raft?

"Mr. Fenton, would you please complete the next puzzle," Mr. Fuluka spoke up, cutting off my thoughts. I looked up at him, his face smug as he knew I didn't have a clue as to what he's talking about. I haven't been following along and I don't even know what page we're on.

Because I was the last to my seat, Sam and Tucker were sitting side by side and I was sitting next to Sam. Sam flipped my book open to our current location and pointed to the puzzle he was talking about. "It's inequalities. It gives you the answer but you must write it correctly using the correct signs."

"I believe Mr. Fenton knows how to do the problem. He was here, after all," Mr. Fuluka remarked.

_Dude_, I heard in the back of my mind. _I don't know if you can read this… or even if I can do this but the answer is __a is less than 5m and 5m is less than b__. I hope you can hear me_.

I looked down at the book, looking at the puzzle:

On a number line, 5m is between a and b, and b is greater than a.

Okay, that kinda makes sense. Thanks, Tuck, I sent out to him.

"Is it a is less than 5m and 5m is less than b?"

"a less than 5m less than b is correct," Mr. Fuluka said, his brow furrowing. "Very good." It didn't take a rocket scientist to know he wanted me to fail.

XXX

Just as we were entering the twenty minutes of class, I felt the familiar chill. I groaned again, climbing over my desk. I wasn't even going to ask for permission. I handed my bag to Tucker without speaking a word.

"Want any help," Sam asked.

"No," I said quickly. "I'll be back… hopefully."

"Mr. Fenton," Mr. Fuluka called angrily.

"Shove off," I retorted before I caught myself. Oh, boy, what a way to make a bad situation worse.

XXX

"Hey," a tall teenaged ghost called me. He looked like someone from either the eighties or nineties, the typical leather jacket and slicked back black hair. Now that I think about it, he's probably from the eighties. "Are you that ghost punk?"

"I don't know," I said, observing his three accompanists. "I go by many names."

"What did Robbie call him," the ghost asked me. "Something about half. Oh, yeah, a halfa. Are you him?"

"Who wants to know," I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"I'm Matt, kid," the boy said, his voice mirroring John Travolta's from Grease. "These are my company: Josh, Nikki, and Jen. We're just looking for some fun and a couple of friends of ours suggested you'd be able to entertain us."

"Well, I'm not exactly in a good position to entertain right now," I said, putting the threat in simple to understand words. "Maybe you could come back later or better yet, get out of my town!"

"Relax, kid," Matt said, holding up his hands. "We're not conquering ghosts and we're definitely not from the flats. We're just here for some fun. If you're busy, we can seek you out later, alright? When's a better time?"

I stared at him in disbelief, "Actually, there's not really a good time. Just, please, go."

"So no matter when we mights come back, you'll still be busy," Josh remarked.

"Pretty much," I said, preparing for battle. They weren't too powerful. They were around six.

"Kid, we've been locked in that Ghost Zone for nearly twenty years," one of the girls spoke up. "We don't really care about your little problems."

"Then let's get this thing started," I remarked, spotting which one would attack first. Strangely, the other girl would. She rocketed from her floater spot, her rich brown curls dancing as she spun around me. I glanced at the rest but they stayed still, watching the girl and me fight. She engaged me in hand-to-hand combat, me blocking every one of her offenses. I grew excited. I love hand-to-hand combat!

"I'm Nikki," she remarked as we fought. Her words were perfect as she spoke, absolutely no sign of wear. Her glow remained up, signaling that in fact she wasn't tired. "I just want you to know the name of the girl who's about to beat you!"

"Well, I'm Danny," I said, sending my leg to side sweep her. She caught herself with her powers before she fell. "Pretty good moves!"

"I'm the best," she remarked, sending me a smile. "But you're a worthy opponent!"

"Thanks," I remarked, blocking her kick. "So are you."

Nikki sent another kick, catching me off guard. I flew backwards, sliding through the floor and heading for the basement. I caught myself, lifting into the air. "I can't quite get the hang of that," I commented, getting back into our battle. "I still fall through things all the time!"

"How long has it been since you became a ghost," Nikki asked, blocking my throw.

"Five months," I commented. "But I'm not a full ghost."

"Really," Nikki replied, dropping to the floor to try to knock my legs out from under me. I jumped over her legs, using my foot to pull her all the way down. "Good job, kid. So, how are you not a full ghost?"

"I'm a halfa," I commented, allowing her to come to her feet. "It means I'm half ghost, half human."

"Are you really an eleven," Nikki asked me, her eyes shining as she floated above the floor.

"Yeah," I commented, "but I don't know half of the stuff I should."

"Thank goodness," Nikki remarked. "You'd be wiping the floor with me. I'm don't have many good powers. That's why I'm an excellent combat artist."

"I prefer hand-to-hand combat. It's something too many ghosts ignore. Just because you can rocket fire from your hands doesn't mean it makes old fashioned fighting obsolete."

"Very true," she commented. She threw her next punch which I blocked easily. I sent a kick her way but she caught my leg. She spun me around, causing me to laugh/scream at the same time. She tossed me and I flew through a wall before I stopped the procession. I flew back, laughing.

"Very good," I laughed. "I hadn't expected you to do that!"

"Expect the unexpected," Nikki smiled at me, trying to cover her own laugh.

"Well, if I could expect it, it wouldn't be unexpected anymore, would it," I flashed her a smile.

Nikki's glow turned a pale white, flaring as she cast her eyes down. I caught it immediately. Nikki was blushing.

"All right, punk," Josh called, upset. "Nikki, it's my turn."

"That's all right," Nikki said. "I forfeit. You are quite the fighter, Danny. I hope to have a rematch some time."

"Anytime."

She giggled, floating back to her previous spot.

"I won't be so easy on you, punk. That's my girlfriend," Josh called out, his aura puffed out and becoming discolored. He was angry.

"If you call that easy, I'll have to up my game. Nikki is an amazing fighter."

"I don't do human things anymore. I'm a ghost," Josh retorted.

"It don't matter what you call it," I commented. "I'll still beat you. Just give me a minute," I commented. I brought out my thermos, checking the inside. Nothing inside. Skulker was still in his suit being delivered to my house. Tucker had put a lock on his control access so no one could access the activation button, not even Skulker himself. "Okay, now we can begin."

"What is that stupid thing," Josh asked me. "Are you hungry?"

"This," I held up my thermos, "is what you'll be calling home until the end of the day. Maybe with you gone, Nikki and I can continue what we were doing before you interrupted us."

That pissed him off, the reaction I wanted. I didn't want to engage this fight, I wanted to end it. Josh started throwing ecto-blasts at me haphazardly, his target completely off. I brought up my ecto-shield, dissolving them instantly. I reattached my thermos to my belt but I couldn't help but think it would be wasted energy. I'd have the ghost inside before you could say 'Jealous much?'. I watched Matt's expression and he knew that Josh had went off the deep end. He was watching our fight with disappointment in his eyes.

As soon as I let Josh have his fit, I sent a blast at him, catching him in the pit of his stomach. I removed my thermos (told you) and sucked him in before he could go through the wall. "Next?"

Matt looked to the other girl, "You want to go next, Jen?"

"I suppose," the girl, Jen, remarked. She walked over to me with boredom. "I guess you won't start the fight."

I was startled, "I'm not a conquering ghost, either. I don't want to start fights but I'll finish them once their initiated. I know the other ghost call me a conquering ghost, but…"

"Kid, I just asked a question. I didn't need a monologue," she remarked. "I don't mind starting fights. It's something to do."

"Sorry," I commented, "I don't usually do the long-winded speech thing."

"Are we going to talk or fight," Jen asked me.

"You're move," I gave her the leeway.

"Thank you," she commented. Then I felt it. A blast of power came off of her that hit me like a ton of bricks, or as the saying goes. A gush of artificial wind blew through the hallways, blowing papers around wildly. The lights started to flick. She was suppressing her power before. She's an eight.

"How did you learn to do that," I asked in surprise.

"What," she asked me, "wrap my powers up? I just pretend to be weaker just like you do. Mine's just different because it's raw power."

She threw the first kick, smacking me in the shoulder and sending me flying. I caught myself before I flew through the wall albeit a bit messy. I flew back over to her, starting the fight. She blocked each throw and kick I could send her but every time she threw a throw at me, she hit me. Okay, Fenton, it's time to get serious.

_She's released her power. Isn't it time you released ours_?

Phantom?

_Who else_?

I scoffed. That's a really stupid question. I decided to drop the issue, asking what I really had on my mind. What do you mean, release our power? Isn't it released.

_No. You're holding back. You need to put your mind and your body into your attacks. If you don't end this now, by the time she gets serious, you'll be finished_.

Okay, I think I know what you're talking about.

_I'd hope so. I was based off of you, after all_.

I stopped watching the other two and focused on Jen. When I finally landed my first kick on her, she put a hand to the spot. Her look of shock turned to one of excitement.

"About time you got around to fighting me," Jen commented. "I was starting to think you were still having sex with my sister."

"What," I asked, completely surprised. She caught me off guard, kicking me in the head. I fell through the floor but floated back up. "I'm not having sex with anyone!"

"Well, could have fooled me," Jen remarked, forming ectoplasm in her hands. It turned to blue and then to purple. "The way you two were playing before was ridiculous."

"Nikki's your sister," I asked, watching her turn her ectoplasm into these two sticks. They were about six-to-eight inches long.

"For all intents and purposes," she remarked. "We have been together for twenty years."

"Okay," I commented. "You won't get another one on me like that!"

"Don't be so sure," Jen commented. "I didn't get the sucky powers."

Jen charged at me, using the sticks to add bite to her punches. I formed a baton but as soon as her energy came into contact with mine, it evaporated. Finally, I got an idea. She came down with her sticks, ready to hit me again when I grabbed them, being momentarily shocked. I focused, using the energy in her sticks to power my attack, "Go Ghost Stinger!"

The purple sticks transformed into white in color. Before Jen could drop them, the shock reached her, causing her to scream. She retracted her hands from the stick, them falling to the ground. The sticks began to break down the molecules in the floor, the linoleum melting where the sticks lay. I cut the ghost stinger, causing the sticks to dissolve away. The ghost stinger had already eaten that away and was just maintaining the shape.

"You have the ghost stinger," Jen asked me, her eyes wide. "I-I can't compete with that!"

"What are you talking about," I asked. "The ghost stinger is the most useless power in the world. I have to have a power source to use it. It just makes a good 'take what comes your way' power!"

"I forfeit," Jen said, putting her hands up. "He could obliterate me!"

"I guess that just leaves you and me, kid," Matt commented.

"Matt, be careful," Jen cried. "He doesn't even know how to use it! That makes it worse!" Is there more to the ghost stinger than I originally thought?

"Don't worry, babe. I'll know what he's planning long before he does."

Oh, crap. "You read minds."

"You got it," Matt said. "You're telling me things you couldn't even begin to comprehend you're thinking about. You are right, you do have your hands full."

"Stay out of my head," I cried, angry as hell.

"Oh, touchy," Matt replied. "Has this Vlad touched a nerve?"

I screamed at him, losing my control. I started throwing punches, making my mark every time. Matt's eyes widened as I slammed my boot into his chest. I sent him flying, powering up a large blast. The blast hit him, his power dropping significantly. I retrieved the thermos, sucking him inside. "Stay out of my head!"

"Danny," Nikki replied. "It's all right. Matt's a jerk like that. Just let me take my friends and we'll go."

"They'll be back tonight," I remarked, still seething. "Unless you want to join them, I suggest you leave. I'm out of control right now."

"Promise you'll return them," Jen asked, her glow barely showing.

"Go," I screamed, collapsing to the floor. I felt the rings form over my body, returning me to Danny Fenton. The two girls ran but they kept looking over their shoulders. They finally saw my true age. I pulled my knees to my chest, putting my head on my knees. I hugged my knees, sobbing once again.

XXX

When the bell releasing the hordes of students rang, I sunk through the floor, hiding in the basement. I couldn't face my life right now. I was starting to get better. I was finally coming to terms and now, I'm broken again. What is wrong with me? Why am I acting this way again? If I do this at home, I won't be able to keep it hidden. How can I convince Sam and Tucker there's nothing wrong with me or at least convince them that I don't remember being raped by Vlad if I act like this? I'll lose everything I've come to build over the last two months.

I looked at my watch. "Half way through History. I'd better get to class." I stood up, stretching my muscles. First, I'll run to the restroom to make sure I don't have red, puffy eyes. I cannot make them worry any more than they already do. I at least owe Sam and Tucker that much.

**AN: Check out the chapter companions and drop me a line. Just two more chapters until the conclusion!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or the Chase Bank.**

**AN: This story contains sexual content, rape, and male sex. If this disturbs you, please do not read.**

**Chapter 16: Mind Games**

I returned to History class to Sam and Tucker's relieved smiles. I actually made it through the class without a ghost attack but it came with a price. On my way to fifth period, I heard the clear sign of a ghost attack on the first floor. Honestly, I don't know which is better. I do know one thing though, I'd prefer the attacks to remain low-key. Once I began teaching Spanish, things became quieter. Lunch came about smoothly.

I looked around the lunchroom for my friends but I couldn't see them. There were several tables empty, including our usual spot, so it wasn't like they were pushed out. Not like that could happen anyway. I decided to skip the human way of locating people and taped into my ghost half, sensing for them. For all the times Sam and Tucker had to help me overcome the temptation of feeding from our fellow classmates, I know their distinct signatures.

Cocking my head to the side, I followed the trail to where my powers said they were. I exited the cafeteria to sure enough find Sam and Tucker sitting at the table we've been spending the last few days at. This isn't going to go well. I looked at my watch: eleven-ten. I don't have a lot of time.

"Guys," I said, walking over to them. Sam was shaking like a leaf and despite her coat sitting beneath her on the table, she still sat sleeveless. "Sam, you are going to get pneumonia if you keep this up!" I sat down beside her, wrapping my arms around her. She fell into my arms, soaking in my warmth like it was liquid and she were a sponge.

"She does it on purpose," Tucker snickered. "Anything to be in your arms!"

"Can it," Sam stuttered while I shot my best death-glare at him.

"Guys, you can't stay out here. I'm not staying for lunch," I told them.

"You're not," Sam said, still stuttering but managing to control herself. "Why not?"

"I have an appointment I need to get to," I answered briefly. "I just came to give you the cube. I forgot to give it to you in fourth period."

"What kind of appointment," Tucker asked me.

"Can you grab the cube, Tuck," I asked briskly. Tucker began walking towards me as I responded: "I'm meeting with a real estate agent. I want to check on something and I need to meet her in," I paused, looking at my watch, "four minutes."

"I so do not want to go in there," Sam grumbled. Tucker removed the cube from my backpack.

"Well, you can't stay out here," I commented. "It's too cold."

"And my personal space heater is leaving," Sam grumbled.

"Is that why you want to become half ghost," I asked. "Temperature immunity?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Sam chided, "That's just a bonus! I want to help. Be useful."

"You are useful," I said softly. "You guys mean more to me than you could ever imagine."

"We know that," Tucker replied. I heard the cube expand from behind me. "But things are different now that there's this huge gap in our profiles. We just want to be on the same playing field. It's like trying to play a vinyl record in a CD player. They may resemble each other, but obviously they're not compatible. We're no longer compatible with you."

"But you guys don't need to feel that you have to be compatible with me. I'm the vinyl record; I'm obsolete."

"Don't you ever call yourself obsolete," Sam declared. "You are every bit as needed now as you were before the accident, Danny."

I lowered my head, "I know that. I used the wrong word, Sam. I'm just trying to say that I'm the oddball. You guys are trying to mirror a junked unit. I'm busted up. I'm broken. Honestly, I should be thrown away and replaced with something new and undamaged," I commented, adding a weak smile, "but I'm one of those objects that has more meaning than what I'm purposed to do. I'm a busted up old toy truck!"

The smile didn't seem to lift their spirits. They just looked at me, their hearts and smiles sagging. I just want them to realize that what happened to me wasn't something that should be repeated. I'm a mistake and people don't repeat mistakes, they correct them. Sam stood up first, turning her head from me as she walked away. I couldn't see her, but I could hear her and I could 'taste' her. She was crying.

Tucker walked towards the cafeteria next, no pep in his walk and no smile on his face. He walked like a man on death row: the destination is nowhere good. I hoped the destination he was regretting reaching was the cafeteria and not the place he's found himself in. I had hurt Sam when I said that and there was nothing I could do to correct what I said. I'm the kind of person now that doesn't let my feelings escape their prison easily. For me to have said that, they know that I meant every word. I couldn't pull a fake recount. They're not that naive.

XXX

I didn't bother with goodbyes, triggering my rings and heading for the house in Elemerton. I pulled out the card the woman had given me yesterday. 866 Burnwell road. I'm not too familiar with Elemerton but I'm pretty sure I can locate the place. Finally, I came across the district that the house was in and I landed on the ground. Triggering the rings, I began jogging at my limitations. Burnwell road!

The road was long, very few houses on the old busted up asphalt. There were no sidewalks and the shoulders were dirt-clad. Mostly pickup trucks and SUVs sat parked in the driveways but more were vehicle-less and I took it as most were working. Streetlights sat on properties sparingly and snow piles lined the road. This was not a luxury neighborhood; most homes ranged in the price-range I had searched. The house I was looking at would not stand out, I'm certain.

Finally, the big number 866 stood out on one of the houses. It was simple: single floor, worn out siding, dirt driveway, a mailbox off the main road and most importantly, isolated. One look at the house and I knew the most I was paying for was the land. A large front yard, a sizeable backyard and an enormous side yard encircled the property. No fencing marked the boundaries and honestly I'm not sure how much of the property would be mine. Farther up the road, I could make out a tiny mailbox but it was at least 500 yards away.

I walked up the ice covered driveway a good 20 feet before I reached behind the realtor's vehicle. She had scraped the ice and snow leading from the front door to where my vehicle would have parked if I had rode with someone. I hadn't taken that into account. We're so close to the Ribaldry Forest, I'm sure she'll wonder how I made it out here without an escort. Oh, well, too late to worry about that.

I walked up to the front door, the porch a small concrete slab with steps. That will be the first to go when I buy this place. That's the one thing I wish I could change about Fentonworks. I hate our steps. There's no place for someone to sit out and enjoy the air. That's why, even before I got ghost powers, I would sit on the ops center. Just now, it's less dangerous.

I knocked gently on the door, a generous knock ringing through the empty front room. "Hello," I called, opening the rickety screen door. That sound vibrated through the room as well. "Is anyone here? I hope I'm at the right address."

"Mr. Masters," the girl called, walking from the kitchen. "I didn't hear a vehicle approaching. I'm sorry."

"That's all right," I commented, trying not to sound upset about being called Vlad's last name.

"But call me Danny. Mr. Masters' is my father's name."

"Danny," she said, taking my hand in hers. "Is your father here?"

"No," I remarked. "Dad had business today and couldn't accompany me. We may still proceed, correct?"

"Of course," the girl remarked. I just realized, I don't have a name for her. "We're not here for your father, after all. You were the one to schedule the appointment."

"Yes," I commented. "So, I hate not knowing your name. Please?"

"Oh," she blushed. "So many people look at the name plate. I'm always forgetting to introduce myself. Rebecca. Rebecca Holt."

"Nice to meet you, Rebecca," I said, smiling at her. "So far, I like the property."

"Really," Rebecca asked, surprise in her eyes. "With as much money as your family has, and you like this run down place?"

"Money is so overrated," I remarked, "I'd rather enjoy the simple things in life."

"Well, I'm not so sure this place is simple as much as it is a hassle. I'd like to sale it, of course, and I'd probably be in trouble for highlighting the reasons not to buy this place, but your family can certainly afford more places of luxury."

"When I see this place, I don't see what it is, I see what it can become. You're right, we can afford more attractive properties but we can also afford to make this an attractive property. That's what I'm looking into doing," I remarked.

"Okay, we'll take a tour of the place and you can decide if this is a property you're interested in," Rebecca remarked, walking further into the house. "Would you care for anything? Water, coffee?"

"No, thank you," I denied politely.

"Well, the living room has a furnished fireplace, newly installed windows and a large living area. It also has poor insulation and narrow entry and exit areas."

"It looks like it has plenty of room for improvement," I replied, smiling at the area. I could open up the entrances and add a splash of color to the walls. The windows could be removed and updated. Even though she said that they have been recently installed, they appear to be the low quality kind. I could open them up further, making them more light and welcoming.

"Well, it certainly can. The windows aren't the best available and the room can certainly become drafty."

"I can buy an air purification system, deleting the drafty conditions. Also when I reinsulate the house, it will cancel out most of the draft. I like it. I can take this room in so many directions."

"Okay," she said, disappointed. I could taste it in the air. "Well, maybe I can talk you out of it in the kitchen. There are plenty of disappointments in there."

Lady, this place doesn't have any disappointments, I wanted to say. It's isolated, there are plenty of areas for improvement and it's simple. Those are the only places that could kill the place and they're not changing anytime soon. I'm almost certain I'm buying this place. I could say 'sold' right now.

XXX

"Are you sure," she asked me, her eyes sullen. She had tried everything to get me to walk away from this place. Now, as I'm saying 'I'll take it', she's in absolute shock.

"Yes," I declared, happily. "This place is a dream come true. It's perfect!"

"Are you just trying to tick your father off," she asked me, sighing in defeat. "That's it, isn't it. As soon as he's upset, you'll call and cancel the process."

"No," I replied simply, "I don't care what Dad thinks about this place. It's ours… I mean mine. I'm buying it."

"I just don't get it," Rebecca replied, devastated. "Your family is loaded. You'll probably pay for this in one installment. Why would you pick this place?"

"It's reality," I spoke simply. "The way my father likes his things is so removed from reality that it isn't even funny. This way, I can remind myself as to how things should be lived."

"You're like a preacher's child," she said, her eyes lighting. "You live the life of wealth so you'll do anything to experience poverty."

I cracked a smile at her observation, "You think that? I hadn't ever considered it before. I guess I am."

"Just so long as you're not pranking me, I guess I don't care," she replied. "But if this is some little rich brat's prank, I mean it, you will not get away with it."

"I'm not a rich brat," I objected, a smile on my lips. She had a playfulness in her threat that couldn't make it be taken serious. "I may come from a rich family, but I work for everything I get." And that isn't any lie. My parents are loaded and I've never eaten out of a silver spoon.

"Okay, so let's get the paperwork together. Is there a way for me to contact you? Using your father's listed contact?"

"No," I replied quickly. "I have another line, separate line."

"Okay," she replied, taking out a PDA. "Shoot!"

"One eight hundred seven four two six eight six six," I spat out my 1-800 number for our hunting team. It was the only phone I had at the moment and the only one that would remain untraced.

"One eight hundred number," she asked, quizzically after she jotted the number down. "I didn't expect that."

"I told you," I remarked, "I have my own business affairs separate from my father." Oh, I can't wait to stop calling that idiot my father.

"Any particular time you want me to call you," Rebecca asked me.

"After three," I remarked. "I have business until then. Also, not during my father's scheduled tour. I don't want to interrupt."

"Okay," she replied, adding the note. "That's at five, correct?"

"Correct," I answered.

"Okay, well I'll see you in the near future," she replied.

"Thank you," I replied. I ran out the door, hoping to get away before she caught on to I didn't have a ride. Maybe I can get away before she realizes.

XXX

I ran through the cafeteria and down the hall towards the gym. I couldn't be late to Mrs. Tetslaff's class. Unless there was a ghost attack, she would fry my bacon, as Technus would say, if I was late. I was zipping down the empty halls, praying against prayer I'd get there before that bell rang. Finally, the double doors of the gym came into sight, my two friends waiting impatiently by the entrance.

"Hurry, Danny," Tucker called. I added a boost of strength and we barely made it through the doors before that bell rang. I sucked in a deep breath, sighing in relief that I made it.

"What were you two doing," I finally demanded. "You were making no move to go inside! What if I hadn't made it?"

"We weren't going in without you," Tucker said, tossing me the cube. I forgot to grab it before I came in. I'm glad he did get it.

"You can't keep getting into trouble for me," I said softer than before.

"You worry about Danny, we'll worry about Sam and Tucker," Tucker remarked. I cracked a smile. He did that on purpose. He'd always worry about Sam before himself.

"We'll see you in a bit, Sam," I replied as I walked towards the boys' locker room.

"Okay," Sam called over her shoulder. Tuck and I walked into the locker room while a few of the nerds and unpopulars walked out. The popular students dressed late while the nerds dressed during lunch to prevent being tortured. Tuck and I didn't worry about that. The biggest concern about that was we may be spotted as being taunt and not wimpy.

While I stripped to get into my gym clothes, I looked down at my leg. I hadn't seen it since I got dressed this morning and I wondered how it was healing. My downcast gaze caught Tuck's attention and his eyes followed me.

"Is that where you got hurt," Tucker asked me quietly.

"Yeah," I replied back, my voice level with his. "It's healed."

"I'm surprised," Tucker remarked. "You haven't had a lot of sleep today."

"I've had enough," I commented, slipping my shorts over my underwear. "I don't need a whole lot. Ghosts only sleep when they need to reserve their powers."

"Yeah, but you're still human," Tucker grimaced.

"And it only physically appears," I tried to put his fears to ease. "I may look like hell but I'm not really that tired. It's just my human half struggling to keep up with my ghost half."

"It's not fair," Tucker remarked, slipping his gym shirt over his head. He dressed in reverse of my preferred order.

"That's what you guys want to do," I told him point blank. I kicked my shoes off, pulling my gym shoes out of my locker. "You'll be the same way."

"Well, yeah, but you'll have a relief system. You won't have as much strain on your shoulders as you do now. You'll have time to keep your human form rested up, then. You haven't slept since yesterday, Danny! That's because you are forced to do it alone!"

Actually, it's been since Saturday since I've slept last but Tuck doesn't need to know that. "Tucker," I answered softly, "you don't need to feel guilty. You have nothing to feel guilty about. 'I have no faults', remember," I replied, quoting a favorite phrase of his when Sam goes about blaming herself for the accident. Tucker feels equally as guilty as Sam does but that's just his way of trying to redirect the conversation. It usually works because when he says that, we usually laugh and forget about why we were fighting until next time. I pulled on my gym shoes, beginning to tie the laces.

"Danny, I had no faults in the role of the accident," Tucker grinned cheekily at me, but returned to being serious, "but every day I'm not half ghost, I'm responsible for everything that happens." Tucker took off his camo shorts, putting his street clothes away.

"No you're not," I replied strictly. "You need to stay you. You're perfect the way you are."

"I'll be perfect when I'm like you," Tucker remarked. He pulled on his gym shorts.

"What makes you think that," a squeaky voice chortled. "Fentina is a freak and you're a freak. You're already alike."

I slipped my street shirt over my head, ignoring Dash and put it away in my locker. I could taste the anger rolling off of Tucker. Shoot! "Tucker," I replied, grabbing my gym shirt. "Calm down!"

"He can get angry if he wants," Chris chuckled. "We can handle a fizzle!"

"Tucker, now," I ordered. He turned his attention from the jerks and put it on me.

"Come on, Danny. Just once!"

"What makes us any better?"

"We'll be motivating our fellow students!"

"Tucker," I groaned, "fighting doesn't solve anything. Haven't you learned anything from the past four months?"

"You're right," Tucker groaned after a minute. "But it would still be fun!" He finally pulled out his gym shoes.

"They'd get off," I replied. "We'd get in trouble."

"It'd be worth it," Tucker said, glancing up at the popular boys.

"You don't need his permission," Tommy taunted. "What is he, your master? Show us what you're worth!"

"He's my friend," Tucker retorted. "We respect each other! And when he's about to do something stupid, I stop him, too!"

"Sounds like he tells you what to do," Dash teased. "Is that how it is? Fentina orders you and Manson around."

Tucker laughed out loud while I chuckled with him, adding "Sam controls us all!" Tucker untied his working boots while I spoke. He slipped on his gym shoes, the lace still tied from yesterday.

"So Manson's the boss," Chris snickered, "That solves that problem."

I patted Tucker on the arm, "Let's go!"

"All right," Tucker smiled. We began walking out of the locker room, Tucker adding loud enough for them to hear: "Morons."

"What'd you say," Tommy yelled out obnoxiously. I groaned.

Tucker turned around, looking straight at them: "Morons," he said slowly. "I thought I spoke clearly enough!"

"You dare to say that to our faces," Chris said, glaring at Tucker.

"Why not," Tucker scoffed. "It's not like there's anyone around who can challenge us!"

"You little runt," Tommy roared. "I should tear you apart for that."

"You're welcome to try," Tucker smarted off. He turned his back to them, "I suggest to do it now. Otherwise, you won't even have a prayer."

"Come on, Tuck," I told him. "Stop playing around. Let's go before we're late to the court. Sam's waiting."

"I'm not stopping," Tucker said, walking towards the exit. "I mean it. If they want to try, they're welcome but I should at least give them a chance."

"Don't give them false hope," I laughed, heading for the door. I heard footsteps coming for us but they stopped abruptly.

"Don't make them eat their words," Dash interrupted.

"Talk about obeying every order," I retorted, my back still to them. "That's the true master!"

"At least I have a title," Dash retorted, trying to sound big. "They follow someone who matters."

"You're as important as a winter storm warning in summer," Tucker retorted, turning around to flash a cocky grin at Dash. "Danny on the other hand handles things of real importance."

"I run an entire town," Dash barked off, "What does Fentonio do?"

"Tucker," I demanded, "Hush!"

"So, what is it, Dweeb," Chris taunted. "What's the things of real importance that you do?"

"None of your business," I shot off. "Tucker, we do not discuss business around others."

"Admit it," Tommy taunted, earning chortling from the others. "You do absolutely nothing!"

"I do nothing," I shot off, pulling Tucker off. "Now it's an order! Let's go!"

"Danny," Tucker called being dragged off. "I wasn't going to mention that!"

"It may be the biggest thing we do now, but it is not the only thing I want to keep private," I demanded in a hushed voice as I dragged him out. Finally, I allowed him to walk himself. "You got a big head in there!"

"Danny, Tucker," Sam asked as we hit the court, "What took so long?"

"The jerks in the back," I answered as we came over. "They got under Tuck's skin and we might have shot off a little."

"Did you show them," Sam smiled at me.

"No," Tucker groaned. "He wouldn't let me prove how important he is!"

"Why would you even want to prove how important Danny is," Sam shrieked.

"Why do the both of you automatically assume I'd prove that," Tucker shot off, insulted. "I respect the secret just as much as you guys do!"

"Then what was the problem," Sam said, turning to me. "Sorry, Tuck," she added off-topic.

"I've kept this part of my life private for eight years," I retorted. "Just because there's a bigger secret now, I can't keep less important facts private?"

"I guess you have a point," Sam said, lowering her apprehension. "Tucker, it's Danny's choice."

"I know," Tucker groaned. "I'm sorry, D."

"I handled it badly," I said softly. "I should apologize to you. I'm sorry."

Tucker threw his hand out for me to smack it, "What are friends for?"

I smacked it back, "What are brothers for?"

XXX

Mrs. Tetslaff had dropped dodge ball today to play a game of volleyball. Oh, lord, have mercy. If you've ever smacked a volley ball, you know how easy it is to screw up the serve. I was never good at sports to begin with but now I'm having to fake being terrible at it. If I let out my true poorness in skill, then I could kill someone but if I truly play the game, then I could do something to give me away. Every time it was my turn to serve or the ball came my way, I said a prayer and swung. A few times that ball soared over everyone's heads, way too powerful for an average human.

Towards the end of class I felt the familiar chill and I knew it was time to go back to work. I let out a soft whistle, catching Sam and Tucker's attentions. They nodded upon understanding and I left my post.

"Daniel Fenton," Mrs. Tetslaff screamed angrily. "Get back to your post!"

"I need to run out for a bit," I called over my shoulder, not pausing for permission. I ran out the door, Mrs. Tetslaff's rage burning off of her like fog off the shore.

XXX

I walked back in the gym, planning on sitting on the bleachers until the end of class. There wasn't much time left and I didn't feel like making a minor mistake in the final six minutes of class that would cost me my secret. However, upon my return, Sam and Tucker quit the team, walking over to me. I shook my head, smiling at them. They will always be this way.

"Hey," Sam greeted me, sitting down beside me. "What happened?"

"Nothing," I responded, "Another nameless ghost wishing to 'expunge' the 'imposture' at 'his' class. Apparently, he use to teach that class. He interrupted computer class but he thought it was French."

"The computer lab sits where the French class use to in the original building," Tucker replied, "At least that's what I learned through the ordeal with Sidney. He probably died in the explosion."

"That's what I assumed," I remarked. "I could probably put a name to this ghost but I'd rather not. Maybe that's why I have so many of them that are reoccurring."

Sam laughed, "I doubt that has anything to do with it."

"Oh well," I chuckled, "Better safe than sorry."

A shadow fell over us and we all three looked up to see one seething Mrs. Tetslaff. "Who said you could leave?"

"I had to run out," I replied coolly.

"I say when you can leave and I did not say you could leave," Mrs. Tetslaff fumed. "And you two! Who said you could stop playing the game?"

"Oh, shut up," Sam said, turning her back to the wall of a woman. "Go back and blow on your whistle."

Tucker laughed.

"You think that's funny," Mrs. Tetslaff screamed. She put her whistle in her mouth and blew it in Sam's direction. I stifled a smile poorly.

Mrs. Tetslaff was still blowing on the whistle when Sam turned and pulled it out of her mouth, ripping the necktie from her neck. "Not in my face," Sam glared at her. She dropped the whistle on the bleacher where her feet rested, clomping her tennis shoe on the little piece of metal. If it had been her combat boot dropping like that, I imagine the wood would have broken. Instead, only the whistle met an early end. "Scram!"

"Manson," Mrs. Tetslaff roared.

"Samantha Manson," Sam glared at her, her voice low. "As in A-List Samantha Manson. Scram!"

Mrs. Tetslaff rectified herself, walking away in a huff. She didn't like it but she knew Sam had more control over the situation. I let out a deep laugh, unable to even pretend to be disappointed. Tucker began laughing next followed by Sam.

"Hit the showers," Mrs. Tetslaff screamed. The ball dropped without a moment's hesitation. The ball rolled over to where Mrs. Tetslaff stood and she kicked it, slamming it with not even a fourth of the exertion I'd accidently placed on it. We stood up and I jumped to the ground. Sam jumped from the third bleacher and I caught her, placing her on the ground. Tucker grumbled under his breath but I heard it. I smiled at him, knowing absolutely I would only do that for Sam.

XXX

Home Ec. got an attack about half way through the class while Music was attacked rather early. I handled both without incident, returning to Home Ec. but skipping music. When the end of the day came about, I walked to Mr. Lancer's classroom. Inside the classroom, Sam and Tucker waited for me. I had lost track of time and was on the opposite side of town when the bell rang. Going from Lake Summerset to the high school had given Sam and Tucker plenty of time to get to the classroom first.

"Hey," Tucker greeted me as Sam looked up at me worriedly.

"I skipped Music," I explained in a low voice. "I was at the lake."

"Did you fish any," Tucker asked me, his eyebrow cocked to the side.

"No," I denied, "The lake was frozen over. I just sat in the snow and enjoyed the cold temperatures."

"Did you feel it," Sam asked me.

"Just like normal," I replied, taking the seat Sam and Tucker pulled over for me. "When it's really cold out, I feel something akin to a chilly autumn evening. It's nowhere near what the real temperature is."

"I wished you could feel again," Sam said, her voice going low. "I'm so sorry."

"It's all right," I shook it off. I didn't want them to know how much that fact did impact my life. It was enough to make me consider some pretty radical options. I pulled out my homework and began to work on it. Sam and Tucker caught on to what I was doing and began to copy my actions.

"I'm glad you could join us today, Mr. Fenton," Mr. Lancer announced as he walked into the classroom.

"I really am sorry about missing yesterday's detention," I said slowly. Snap out of it, Fenton. No one has overcame Operation Big Foot before. Lancer won't either.

"Next time you need to leave for business, please let me know," Mr. Lancer replied, sitting down to his desk. "I'd rather there not be a repeat of this morning," Mr. Lancer said as he started working, not bothering to look up at me.

"Of course," I whispered. "Tuck just overreacted. I ran after him and Sam ran after me. It was really my fault."

"Just don't let it happen again," Mr. Lancer replied, still not looking in my direction.

"So he has absolutely no recollection of the fight with Skulker," Sam whispered. I saw Tucker squirming to hear her and she was right beside him. Wow, she's getting good at that!

"Nothing," I whispered. "He probably won't even think he saw a big foot. With all the ghost attacks, he'll probably think that scream was a ghost."

"As long as he don't remember the fight is all I care about," Sam said slightly louder. Tucker didn't squirm on that one but he still struggled to hear her. I'm impressed!

XXX

After dropping Sam and Tucker off at their own houses, I proceeded on home. I walked in the house and cursed the marines. They dropped Skulker's unit off at my house all right—in the freaking front room. I walked over to the unit and picked it up with one hand, walking towards the basement. I walked into the kitchen and Mom and Dad were in the room, Dad working on a project while Mom cooked lunch. Quickly, I dropped the suit to the ground and began tugging on it, feigning difficulty.

"Danny," Mom said behind my back, "What is that thing!"

"This," I asked, trying to sound like it was no big deal. "What do you think it is," I asked, a nervous laugh unknowingly accompanying it. Stupid, sound more realistic!

"I have no idea what it is or why the marines dropped it off for you. You are supposed to supply that information to this mystery."

"It's just something I ordered," I tried to come up with a plausible explanation.

"From where," Dad asked me, joining the conversation. "Ghosts 'r us?"

"Ghosts," I said, weakly, "You think it's ghost related."

"No," Mom said, her voice stern. I decided it was probably a good time to turn around though I desperately wanted to avoid their glares. Mom had her arms crossed across her chest. "We know it's ghost related. We checked it out with the scanners."

I knew I should have sucked Skulker into the thermos. If I had, their scanners wouldn't have come up with anything because the suit is one hundred percent human! I tried to come up with a response but nothing seemed to come to mind. Only self-belittlement and insults filled my mind. Think of something useful! The door in the living room opened and shut and it attracted my parents' attentions. Sam and Tucker came in from behind me.

"Hey, D-Danny," Tucker said, finding Skulker's suit where he expected to find me. He paused, his voice making a humming sound as he tried to come up with an excuse.

"Hey, the suit came in," Sam declared happily. "We've been waiting for this thing forever!"

"Really," Mom said, her voice amused but not sold.

"Yeah," Sam continued, "I ordered something that Tucker could train his PDA on. It's like your ghost program but for his PDA. He's been bored lately!"

"There's no way someone else could have created this," Dad declared. "Where did you order it from?"

"What do you mean," Sam laughed, sounding normal instead of forced. "We ordered it from the catalog. Couldn't someone else invent a computer module?"

"It's ghost related, Sam," Mom demanded, angrily. She hoped to make Sam slip up.

"No it's not," Sam said, cocking her head to the side. "At least not yet, anyway. We were going to infuse ectoplasm into its hydraulics to make it ghost related but they couldn't do that. That is something only you guys could invent."

"We done the test, Sam," Dad said, crossing his arms across his chest. "It's some kind of metallic ghost. I don't know why it'd need a metal suit, but I'm more interested in knowing how you three got your hands on it."

"It's not a ghost," Sam declared. "What kind of test did you do?"

"The ghost detectors," Mom supplied, "And don't try to say they're defunct because I know they're not."

"They're not defunct," Sam admitted, "but the suit has been contaminated. Do you know how many ghosts assault the shipping yards? Also, think about how the suit was shipped. Don't you believe the marines have access to ghost-related articles to contaminate the suit?"

"Yeah," I replied, catching onto her scheme. I needed to make this look natural. "I couldn't figure out why their detectors would pick up on ghost residue. Sam, you're a genius!"

"Of course," Sam said, coming to stand beside the suit. A few moments had passed when I heard a soft humming sound. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a blue beam penetrate the suit and the small signature I was receiving disappeared. "Do you have anything that could clean up the contamination? Rid the ghost residue?"

"We sure do," Mom said, her eyes glistening. "We can settle this here and now!"

"We sure can," Sam smiled, leaning against the suit and crossing her arms across her chest. I resisted the smile. Tucker hadn't caught on to what was going on.

"When she scans that suit again, she'll still pick up on Skulker," Tucker hissed.

"No she won't," Sam replied quietly. "Because Skulker's no longer in that suit to be detected. Danny, you need to give yourself ample room. When she picks up on your signature, you can't be that close. My explanation if she becomes suspicious won't be enough if she sees how much contamination you have."

My eyes widened and I felt the blood drain from my face. I backed away from the suit, standing more towards the table instead of the lab where Skulker's suit was located. Mom and Dad walked over towards us, carrying this spray bottle and five towels. "Here," Mom said, handing a towel each to Sam and Tucker. She tossed a towel in my direction. "Begin wiping!"

She sprayed the suit down, being sure to coat the entire object. Sam and Tucker began wiping the surface as I walked to his big arms. The cannons were deactivated so their busted up forms were not visible. I began to wipe his arms. Dad got his head and shoulders since he was the tallest of us all. He almost stood as tall as the suit itself but Dad was slightly shorter. That's a sentence I'm not sure I've ever said.

As soon as the entire surface had been cleaned, Mom took out the scanner and I backed away discreetly. Mom scanned Skulker's entire body but nothing came up on the radar. And just as it is with my luck, she turned in my direction. The beeper went off like crazy.

"That thing is still identifying Danny as a ghost," Dad asked, his eyebrow arched. "Why on Earth is it still malfunctioning when it works perfectly elsewhere?"

My throat constricted and I'm certain I was resembling a ghost by this point. After all, the only obvious distinction between ghosts and humans is the fact that ghost have no blood circulating to give them color. All ghost, with the exception of Vlad and alien race ghosts, are a pale discoloration of their human skin. I couldn't tell you if the alien race ghosts resemble their lives before they became ghosts or not. Vlad's pale blue skin puzzles me to this day.

"We might have an answer to that," Tucker spoke up. A thought crossed my mind, _act natural. You don't know about our theory_.

"We do," I said, my response not as strong as it should have been. Maybe it sounded more natural. _Well done_!

"Yeah," Sam spoke up, looking at me. It sounded really genuine. "That had been puzzling us and Tuck and I were discussing it one day. I'm not sure, because we're not the scientists, but I think what Tuck and I came up with sounds plausible."

"What is it," Mom asked.

"Well," Tucker said, beginning slowly. "The accident. Sure, it was really low volts that went through him but even a fraction of the portal's wattage was significant. I mean, it knocked Danny out and freaked me out. I thought he was dead, remember! Could it be that the electricity, although minimal, was enough to contaminate him with ghost residue?"

"Sam, Tucker," I cried out, absolutely no acting involved. What were they trying to do? Get Mom and Dad to draw blood from me to test their theory?

"I know it's a scary thought, Danny," Sam said, looking into my eyes, "but it's the only explanation. "

"That can't be it," Mom dejected their theory. "We took his blood when he fainted the other day, remember. There was nothing ghost related there?"

"Would it affect his blood stream," Tucker asked. "You've always told us that ghosts and humans can't exist together. It's been five months since the accident. Danny's alive and well!"

"I wouldn't say that," Mom remarked with a grimace, "but your point does make its mark. If Danny's blood had been contaminated with ectoplasm, he would have already been killed from the exposure. I guess it could affect him like radiation poising," Mom said, turning to Dad.

"The people present during the atomic bomb of Hiroshima were affected with radiation poising their entire lives," Dad paled. "If Danny has been poisoned with ectoplasm, he could experience debilitating effects the rest of his life!"

"Come on, guys," I said, trying to stop this insanity. What are they trying to do? My parents won't be like, 'oh, okay. Danny's been disabled with ectoplasm. No big deal!' They'll freak. They'll freak big time! Why don't we just go on and tell them that I've changed my DNA profile while we're at it. "I'm fine! You guys have been watching me since the accident. Mom even checked me out after the accident. I've not been poisoned!"

"I have been watching you," Mom said, her voice rising. "I've been watching you struggle with the simplest of tasks. You have been acting strange. You haven't been getting any sleep. You're moody. You're showing signs of something big going on here! I think Sam and Tucker might be on to something."

Come on, wake up. Let me be having another pathetic dream! I don't know what I hate most: waking up to a pathetic dream that I thought was real or staying awake through something that is straight out of my wildest dreams. "Mom, Dad, this in nonsense. Sam and Tucker are just overreacting. I'm fine!"

Sam put her arm on my shoulder, "I know this is scary. I know you don't want to face facts. But it might be a reality."

I shook her hand from my shoulder, "No! I've not been poisoned. I'm not sick! I'm fine!"

"How do we test for ectoplasmic poisoning," Mom asked Dad. I looked up. Mom was asking Dad how to do something.

"I have no idea," Dad said, looking sullen. "If it's not appearing in his blood, how else can we test? It's not like Sam and Tucker's theory have any easy solutions. At least with Vlad's ecto-acne we had the imbalance and the medical mysteries. Here, Danny appears to be fine! We have no way of determining if he's been poisoned. We're flying blind!"

I looked back at Sam and Tucker and their eyes were shinning in success. I smiled brightly for a few brief moments, realizing that in fact Sam and Tucker done their homework. There was no way—yet—that my parents could test this theory. It would remain a theory for a while. I mouthed I'm sorry to Sam for shrugging her hand off.

"Don't worry about it," softly made it to my ears.

"Oh, my baby boy," Mom wailed and it brought me back to the moment. There wasn't all reasons for celebration. My parents would be freaking out until they came up with a way to test this theory and until they could, I'd be under constant supervision. Mom threw her arms around me and I barely made it so she hugged my clothing and nothing else. With her suit and my shirt for added insulation, I believe I can escape this nightmare.

"It's okay, Mom," I said, keeping my hands to my side. I have to remember that despite Mom's hazmat suit being well insulated, my body temperature is a burning hot 200 degrees. Not even their suits could block that out. They can still feel the freezing cold so they'll be able to feel the burning hot.

"I promise you," Mom said, holding me out to look me in the eyes. I kept an eye on where she put her hands. They rested on my shoulders. "I will find a way to test this. And if it's proven, I will find a way to cure you. Oh, God, I just know that's what's wrong!"

"Mom," I tried to calm her down, "I'm okay, really. Maybe it is… I-I don't know but I'm okay. I'm still me, I'm just a little stressed."

"Danny," Dad said sternly, "You need to inform your mother and I into what's happening in your life. Can you sleep? Do you get hungry anymore? Have you been feeling sick? Maybe you feel weak around certain elements."

I sat up from Mom's contact, breaking it. "Well," I paused. I can tell them about the food. "Foods taste more muted. I have a difficult time eating because I can't taste it as sharply as I could before."

Mom removed a notebook, flipping it open and removing a pen. "Taste affected. You know," she said, looking up at me after she wrote the note, "I remember that one day when you came home and you were crying. You told me you had missed my cooking. Was that a part of it?"

"Sort of," I spoke slowly. "I mean, yeah, it kinda was. That day, I had been at the office over twelve hours. I came home and I noticed immediately that things were different. Then I tasted every flavor of your casserole. It was overpowering."

"What kind of differences did you notice," Dad asked me. "I know it's probably hard to know what you've lost and what you haven't. It's not something we're faced with every day so some things slip by unnoticed."

"The cold," I answered straight away. "I was freezing. Normally, the cold doesn't affect me but walking home from the office that night, I'd considered calling you guys on several instances. I actually felt the cold."

"Okay," Mom commented. "Temperature tolerance. Does that include heat as well? Do you get hot?"

"No," I answered. "I remain comfortable despite the temperature."

"That sounds like a gift," Sam chuckled, "not a side effect."

"It might sound that way," Mom commented, "but could you imagine putting your hand on a stove burner that was on and not being able to feel it. There are people out there that are diagnosed with an illness that effects their ability to feel pain. The biggest threat to them is getting hurt and not knowing it. They get infections and die from things they didn't even know they did."

Sam and Tucker paled while I inwardly chuckled. My ghostly antibodies were so fast that before the injury fully develops, they've killed all foreign cells. I couldn't possibly get sick. The only time I've come down with a bug was when Desiree attacked. Even that healed rapidly; I was cured two full days before Tucker. I'm not sure, but I think I was just so worried and stressed with Tucker that my immune system had a breach; just like with any normal person. Even ghost immune systems have flaws.

"Okay, what else," Dad asked me, getting my thoughts in order.

"I'm not sure if this has anything to do with it, but your ghost weapons. They shock me or go off around me… like the tracker. It's not the only thing," I replied. I hoped I wasn't cutting it too close.

"They're probably picking up on that contamination," Dad replied as Mom just stared at me. Oh, lord, don't let her figure it out.

"They're hurting you," Mom said, her eyes welling up with tears, "our inventions… are hurting you."

"Maddie," Dad said softly. Mom looked in his direction. "How do you think he got contaminated in the first place? Honey, he was shocked by the portal."

Mom dropped the book and pen, clasping her hands to her mouth. Slowly, I saw her trembling, her knees giving out. I reacted, catching her before she collapsed. I held her up as she began to cry.

"Mom," I spoke softly. "Don't cry. It's all right."

"Our inventions hurt you," Mom cried. "It's our faults. My fault!"

"No, Maddie," Dad said, walking over to her. He wrapped her free arm around his waist, holstering her up as I balanced her over my head on her other arm. "Wow, Danny, you're doing most of the work!" Dad said as soon as he took in her weight—there was none. Her entire weight was on my head, Mom's knees buckled beneath her. "Maddie, this is not your fault and it's not really ours either. We done everything we could to keep our kids safe. We have to trust them."

"Dad's right, Mom," I said from beneath her. "You guys told me to stay out of the lab that day. I knew better." More than you'll ever know. "I still done wrong. I should have obeyed you."

Tucker walked around me and pulled a chair around to us. He set it directly behind Mom, "Gently lower her back," Tucker ordered. I began lowering her back and Tucker held the chair in place so it wouldn't rock. He didn't need to worry about that, though, because I wasn't letting go for anything. Mom was shielded before I mentioned the weapons. I made her like this.

"There is one thing that we've observed," Sam spoke up. "I'll jot it down on the paper so you guys can study it when you're feeling better, Mrs. Fenton."

"What is it, Sam," Mom asked, her voice weak. "I need to know."

Sam picked up the pen and notebook and jotted down her mystery side effect. "Touch. If we sneak up on Danny and touch him without him knowing we're there, he won't feel it."

Touch—Sam's biggest worry now that I've filled her in, taste—Tucker's biggest worry, and weaponry and temperatures, my biggest concern and that puzzles me the most. We're telling the changes since the accident that worries us but we have no way of testing. If only I could ask them about my ghost half. I'd love to have some answers to that puzzle.

I glanced at my watch quickly, still staying in Mom's vicinity. The grade school would be releasing soon. I had to get rid of Sam and Tucker, not have Mom and Dad follow me around and get rid of the kids before five so I could go with Vlad. Of all the days to be booked on. And let's not forget about the ghosts. I don't exactly have an open book full of places to put all these demands. I'm still strapped for time ten million ways to Sunday.

Finally, I knelt down to look Mom in the eyes. "Mom," I spoke softly, "You don't need to worry about anything. I'm not a boy anymore. I know I need to take responsibility for my actions."

Mom reached her hand out to take my hand in hers. I resisted the urge to rip it out of her grasp, praying she wouldn't feel the high temperature. "You will always, always, be my baby," Mom said, looking me in the eye. "No matter how big, old, or distant you become. No matter what happens. No matter where you are. You will always be my baby boy!"

"I know," I smiled weakly. I could feel myself being choked up. I missed the constant contact I use to have with her. I missed the bond we used to share. I missed my mother more than anything that being half ghost has cost me. I missed my family. I hugged her tightly, "I love you, Mom. I love you so much."

Mom pulled me in, hugging me tightly. I allowed her to hold on to me, momentarily forgetting about the pressures hanging over my head. I just wanted to be her little boy again, if only for the length of a hug.

XXX

I managed to talk Sam and Tucker to go home, telling them that I wouldn't be going on patrol today because of a meeting related to the one at lunch. Sam didn't take kindly to it but she left anyhow. Of course I'd go on patrol today, but they were going to get the evening off. I didn't know when Vlad would release me, if he ever would, but if I did get away, I would hit the streets immediately. I probably wouldn't get any sleep tonight either.

The front door opened and about ten to fifteen children came through the door. Okay, I hadn't expected that many to show up. "Hey guys," I greeted.

"Hey, Danny," Courtney greeted. So I finally get to face the trouble maker.

"Follow me," I announced, walking upstairs. Small pitter patters followed me up the stairs. I activated my parent's shoot, loading three at a time until we were all in the ops center. "Okay, let's get this over with."

"How did you become half ghost," Courtney began.

"First," I interrupted. "An introduction."

"Okay," Courtney replied, quietly. "Well, you know our family. Emily, Victoria and Laura are here. Emily wanted to see you." Emily was only three years old so I knew she wouldn't be asking many questions.

"Hi," Emily smiled at me shyly.

"Hi," I said, a bit uncomfortable.

Emily started giggling, running behind Courtney. I took a shaky breath. Just great!

"Okay," Courtney laughed, "Then there's the reps. Two for each grade, one boy and one girl. For first grade, there is Bobby and Nora. Representing second grade is Trent and Micca. Third graders Howie and Willow. Fourth graders Jerome and Elaine. Fifth graders Craig and Gina. And finally sixth graders Davy and Trisha."

Sixteen children. I can do this. "Okay, I've seen the theme song so I'll compare it to that. It happened pretty much the same way. I didn't push the button," I pointed out, "I tripped. However, I'm glad they put that in there. I'm not sure if you guys can understand that."

"I don't get it," the boy from first grade cried. "Why would you get hurt by something you can't control?"

"Because, not all things in life are black and white," I tried to explain. "In a way, I did control it. I was told not to go to the lab but I disobeyed my parents. That was the creators' way of incorporating it."

"How did Sam and Tucker find out," Laura asked.

"They were there," I replied. "The theme song doesn't show them but they were there."

"Why is the schedule so far off," a young girl asked. I guess the naming them didn't help after all. I still don't know who's who.

"Well, the show began in April. How he got the show before it even happened I don't know but I do know that he doesn't know it's real."

"What are these dreams you talked about," Courtney asked me.

"One of my powers that the show doesn't say I have," I answered. "When I'm sleeping, sometimes I get these weird dreams. When I begin a dream, I can't wake up until the dream is finished. Some are crystal clear which means they have a good chance of coming true. If they're fuzzy, like a station with a poor signal, then they're less likely to occur."

"Do you have any other powers that the show doesn't include," a boy asked. He was older.

"I'm not familiar with the show," I replied, biting my lip. "I just know what Brit tells me."

"Who's Brit," Courtney asked.

"She's a friend of mine that now lives out of state," I answered. "We talk every night but the show doesn't include her."

"Anything else the show doesn't include," a girl asked. This one was younger.

I groaned, "I'm not that familiar with the show. Brit does say that they don't go into full detail about ghost hunting. They make it like my parents' are independent. My parents are actually members of the government. Mom actually leads this region and she's the second in command nationwide."

"If you don't know so much about the show, how can you know if there is any big differences," an older girl asked.

"I'd rather not watch the show," I replied with a grimace. "It's just weird to see me as a cartoon. I've watched a few videos that Brit's sent me but I try to ignore it."

"Okay," Courtney quipped. "You are going to watch some episodes with us!"

"No," I declared. "Absolutely not!"

"Danny," Courtney crossed her arms. "I'm not asking."

"Come on, Courtney," I whined. "It's just too weird!"

"Not caring," Courtney quipped. "We'll come over tomorrow at four to watch an episode with you."

"Guys," I finally replied, my voice soft. "I don't know if you understand this or not but I have things I need to do. I'm hunting ghosts almost all day! I still have schoolwork to complete. I have chores I need to do. I don't really have the time to do these things."

"Then we'll work on our homework while we're watching them," Courtney replied. "They're only thirty minutes long and there is only fifteen episodes. You can fit that in your schedule!"

"You'll give me time if I need it," I asked. Why am I agreeing to this?

"Of course," Courtney replied.

I sighed, "Okay. But I'll come over to your house. I can't allow anyone in my house to watch this."

"Will Sam and Tucker be joining us," a young girl asked.

"No," I answered. "They don't know about the series and I won't allow them to know about it."

"Okay," Courtney replied. "We'll see you tomorrow!"

"Four o'clock unless something comes up. If something does come up, I'll call you at your house."

"Okay," Courtney replied. I lead them back outside and they disappeared down the road. I checked my clock and it read four-thirty. Shoot! It's almost time. I ran up to my room, grabbing my bank books from my desk drawer. I had enough in my savings for Team Phantom but I didn't have enough in my checking account. I hated transferring funds from my TP account but this was more important. I had plenty of money in my TP account so I knew it wouldn't affect the team.

I walked downstairs and picked up the phone. I dialed the number for the bank and listened to the options. Finally I was transferred to the right department.

"I'm needing to transfer a large amount of money from my savings account to my checking account," I informed the associate.

As the associate was going through all the steps, I kept picking up this strange feeling. I looked around the room but I couldn't pinpoint what I was sensing. "May I have your passphrase, please?"

I looked around the room again, stuffing the mystery away. "Froot Loop needs a cat. Capitol F r double o t Capitol L double o p needs a cat."

"Thank you, sir." I heard her typing on a keyboard. "Daniel Fenton," she asked.

"That is correct," I replied.

"Okay, how much funds would you like transferred?"

"One hundred thousand," I replied. I heard her voice catch for a moment but she proceeded. With as many ghosts as I've reported, all the bonuses I've accumulated and the few baseball cards I've sold, I have well over three hundred thousand in the account. I've been collecting this saving account since sixth grade.

"Okay, sir, the funds will be available immediately," she replied. "Thank you for calling Chase."

"Thank you," I replied. I hung up the phone and headed for my room to change. Ten minutes before Vlad will be here. Sitting in the living room watching television was Jazz. It was probably her that I had sensed earlier.

"Hey Danny," Jazz greeted me.

"Hey," I replied, my voice soft. I continued on to my room.

At four-fifty-eight a purple light exploded in my room. I was dressed in that stupid monkey suit but it seemed to please Vlad. Vlad put his hand on my shoulder and I took a deep breath. Vlad teleported us out. Outside of the apartment complex, Vlad straightened his tie and coat, "I assume you cancelled that appointment?"

"Assume all you want," I whispered, heading for the opening. This place was a far cry from the luxury Vlad was accustomed to but it was the nicest place in Elemerton. Of course, that wasn't saying much. Elemerton has been on a downward spiral for years. They claim they're 'getting better,' but they're only really getting better at lying to themselves.

"I had better be right about my assumption," Vlad lowered his voice.

"There's no point in lying to you," I retorted. "I went."

"Daniel," Vlad said, his voice going even deeper.

"Threaten me all you want," I said, heading for the elevator. I had no idea where I was going but most places were all the same anyhow. "What floor is this place on?"

"Five," Vlad answered.

I pushed the fifth floor's button, starting the elevator.

XXX

Vlad was not pleased with the place. He asked to view some more properties and to my 'delight', he ordered me to tag along. I couldn't talk him out of it so I accompanied him. At the real estate office, I ran into Rebecca. While Vlad was looking over the list again, I slipped to her desk.

"Everything's looking to be in order," Rebecca replied. "If you'd like, we can begin the process."

I looked over my shoulder, watching Vlad as he looked at all their available properties. "Let's do it!"

XXX

We weren't through with property viewing until seven o'clock and then I had some 'business' with Vlad. Once we were through there, I finally hit the streets. Ghost after ghost was everywhere and I didn't get a chance to get away until after four. Thankfully when I did make it home, my parent's had believed I was already asleep. When I came down for breakfast, I was surprised to be praised for making it home for curfew. School started like normal.

One ghost per class and two during lunch later, I was walking home with Sam and Tucker after detention. I was trying to explain to them that I still had business to take care of but they weren't letting it slide as easily this time. I stopped at Sam's house, looking to her, "I'll come pick you up for patrol. We will be going out tonight. I just need to take care of this."

"What are you doing," Sam asked me.

"It's not important. That's why I'm doing it now instead of during patrol. I'll see you at six. Don't go to my house. I won't be there," I replied.

"Okay," Sam resigned. "But you're telling me on patrol."

"Uh huh," I replied, not really meaning yes. As Sam disappeared in her house, I began walking Tucker home. "Same goes for you. I'll pick you up at six."

"Okay," Tucker said, a bit worried. "Be careful."

"Don't worry," I replied. I looked around and triggered my rings, hitting the air once the transformation was complete.

I landed in the snow covered front yard, triggering my rings as soon as my feet hit the white stuff. I walked towards the door, digging my keys Rebecca had given me out of my pocket. I unlocked the door, walking into my new property. I removed my backpack, closing the door with my free arm. Placing the pack on the floor softly, I unzipped it and removed a pad of paper. I started going through the house, listing everything I wanted to do to the property. I would need to make a good argument to Vlad to convince him this was a good idea.

XXX

Four o'clock came and I was touching down at the Adkin's residence. I knocked on the door and Leslie Adkins, the mother of seven girls, answered the door. "Danny," she greeted me happily. "I haven't seen you in ages."

"It has been too long," I replied, smiling softly. "How have you been?"

"I've been good," she replied. "How about you? The last thing I heard about you was your accident. Are you all right?"

"Oh yeah," I replied, brushing it off. "It wasn't really that big of a deal. Tucker just overreacted and upset Mom. It wasn't as big as everyone made it out to be."

"Star didn't even know you had an accident," Mrs. Adkins replied. "Didn't you tell anyone at school?"

"No," I admitted. "The few days I did take off to put Mom's fears at ease I explained by having the flu. I didn't want to… I mean… it looks bad, you know. I didn't want anyone to think… I mean, I did chose to go down there and my parents did tell me not to. I didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea."

Mrs. Adkins smiled softly. "No one would have thought that. But I understand. So, what brings you here?"

"The hooligans," I said, smiling at their nicknames.

"I believe you are the only one who can call them that," Mrs. Adkins smiled. "I scold Star all the time."

"Well, they're waiting for me. It was nice speaking to you, Mrs. Adkins."

"Likewise," she replied. "Goodbye Danny and take care."

"Same to you," I nodded. "Oh, and take care of that little one!"

"Oh no," Mrs. Adkins retorted. "Abigail is the last one!"

"I've heard that before," I kidded, walking up the stairs. I stopped at Courtney's room, the door ajar. I tapped on the door.

"Danny," she called, excited. "You made it!"

"Of course," I replied. I looked around the room but only the four girls, Jake and Dan were present. "Where's everyone else?"

"We didn't want to overload you," Victoria replied.

"Well, I appreciate that," I replied. "Dan, Jake. How are you boys doing?"

"We're fine," Dan replied, running at me. I braced myself as he leapt into my arms. The five year old was quite clingy. "This is the coolest moment of my life!"

"And why is that," I asked as I walked over to Courtney's bed.

"I get to watch Danny with Danny," he declared. "It's awesome!"

I chuckled as Courtney pulled out a VHS tape. I took a shaky breath. This is absolutely the last thing I've ever wanted to do. I've refused to watch it with Brit and now these little girls have worn me down. What can I say? There's something about a blonde.

I chuckled as I watched the most horrible rendition of my father ramble on as I battled the ectopusses. One, they were not green. Two, we did not make that much noise. It did get loud but not even my dad could miss that. However, Dad did say he'd keep on speaking. Sam and Tucker weren't shaking that bad but it was a close-enough reenactment.

I covered my face as the theme song played. He's going to catch them all because he's Danny Phantom?! What is this, pokemon? There were several little alterations, like how Tucker appeared to know nothing about Ultra-recyclo vegetarian food. Tucker knew about it, he was just making a point. However, those little points could be forgiven because Butch Hartman only had thirty minutes (actually less) to squeeze in a six-year-old friendship. Tuck and I have actually known each other for ten years.

I groaned out in distaste as I saw the lunch lady. "What," Courtney asked me.

"She's not green," I cried. "She's black!" When Tucker's cartoon version quoted himself in the kitchen, I couldn't help but remark, "What, is his grandmother green?"

When the episode was finally over, I was barely alive. "You guys find this entertaining?"

"Very," Emily cried joyful.

"I'm glad my life is entertaining," I groaned. This show will never make it! "Most of it is accurate, some of it has been altered to fit the allowed time and then some of it has been cartooned. But, mostly, it's accurate."

"Thanks, Danny," Courtney smiled. "I know this is difficult. I guess if it was us, it'd be different. We go into fits when we see Jessica or Star in the background. We know how you feel."

I took a shaky breath, "I'm glad for your understanding."

"Dash is a big part of it," Dan replied. "I understand."

"And Kwan has been on a few episodes," Jake replied.

"We get it," Laura replied.

"Thanks," I replied again. I ruffled the boys' hair, kissed the girls' heads and said my goodbyes. I flew to the apartment Vlad was scheduled to see today. "Thanks for allowing me to meet you here."

"As long as you're here on time I don't care how you get here. If you still get sick like you use to with transporting, I'll allow you to meet me for all the appointments."

"I still get sick," I replied, smoothing out my shirt. Vlad's eyes trailed my normal clothes. "Sorry, I didn't have time to change."

"I'll permit it," Vlad said, a frown on his face. "But only this once."

"Yes, sir," I replied, my face mirroring his. I followed him inside today.

XXX

"Vlad," I whispered as six o'clock approached.

"What," Vlad turned to me, upset that I had interrupted.

"I have patrolling," I whispered. "I thought you'd be done by now."

Vlad groaned. "Fine. We'll pick this up tomorrow."

"I owe you one," I replied, turning to leave.

"Which you'll pay me back tonight," Vlad replied from behind me. I'll try but I haven't had any sleep in three days. I am swamped at night.

_Make time_, Vlad sent me telepathically. Like I said, I'll try.

XXX

I picked up Sam first and then Tucker, starting patrol five minutes late. Sam and Tucker had eaten at home so we hit the streets immediately. We stayed busy all evening long. Finally at nine-fifty-five, I sucked the ghost in the thermos, picked up Sam and Tucker with my mind, put up a shield and hit the sonic mark. I dropped Sam off, took Tucker home, ignored their objections and returned to fight the next ghost. Once I put him away, I hit the sonic mark again, powering down and returning home.

"I'm home," I called as I walked in the door. I didn't wait to be scolded for missing curfew. "I'm tired. I'm going to bed. Don't check in on me. I'm going to bed," I ran up the stairs, closed my door and flew out my window. I went after the next ghost.

At one o'clock Vlad showed up.

"Daniel," he addressed me from the ground as I fought the ghost in the sky.

"Not now," I cried down at him. "My ass is busy presently!"

The ghost took my moment of distraction to send me hurling into another building. I flew through it but smashed into another. Just great. Why can't they have more old buildings that no one wants around. I flew back to the fight.

"Daniel," Vlad said sternly. "It's not a choice!"

"Neither is this," I called back, fighting the ghost. It wasn't a very powerful ghost and that's what made it so challenging. It was pure evil but it's strength made it not much of a threat. One wrong move and this eleven could destroy him.

A red beam appeared below me and I watched in horror as the ghost blew up. The ghost let out a loud shriek as he was obliterated. I turned back in Vlad's direction, his human palm smoking. "You were thinking the solution!"

"Vlad," I cried. "You didn't have to do that!"

"I won't have anything interrupting us," Vlad replied coolly. I looked back to where the ghost was before. I done this. "Now, come on!"

I bit back the nausea and landed beside him. Maybe ghost hunting could wait. I'm not sure if there is another side besides the Ghost Zone. Did that ghost just face oblivion because I denied Vlad? My world swirled and my stomach lurched as Vlad teleported out with us.

XXX

I flew through my open window just before five. I powered down, my torn and shredded jumpsuit replaced with my human clothes. I walked over to my desk and opened my backpack. I didn't have a lot of time but I had to try to get the rest of it done.

I showered at six-thirty and bandaged up my few injuries. I needed sleep. My powers were weakening, my human half too weak to carry my ghost half. If I didn't get some sleep tonight, tomorrow when I go ghost hunting I'd really have a chance for getting hurt. Today, I was just sporting a few long gashes, some bruising and a couple fractured ribs. I released the ghosts I had captured in the last twenty-four hours after I finished my routine and went upstairs. I grabbed the cereal box, milk, spoon and bowl.

The minute Sam had me in her sights, she knew I didn't get any sleep. "Damn it, Danny," Sam cussed, something unusual for her. "You are going to kill yourself!"

"Don't worry," I replied, walking out her door. She followed behind me.

"Don't worry, don't worry," Sam retorted. "Damn it, I wouldn't worry if you gave me no reason to worry."

"I'll get some sleep today," I promised her.

"Is that before you're dead or after," Sam retorted.

"I'm not going to die," I declared. "I'm just a little tired."

"When you stop healing, you're more than just a little!"

XXX

Tucker had something a bit more to say about my appearance. "God damn it Danny, you are going back home!"

I winced, his voice cutting through my head like a hack saw. "I'm fine."

"The hell you are," Tucker retorted, "even Baxter could hurt you today!"

"I can't miss school," I declared.

"Then what are you going to do when you're dead," Tucker retorted. I must look really terrible. They're both suggesting I could kill over.

"I'm not going to die," I retorted, my voice rising.

"Danny, I bet I could knock you over," Tucker retorted himself.

"I'm not going back home," I replied, continuing walking.

"Don't make me call Mom," Tucker threatened.

I turned around, "Tucker, I'm in over my head here. There's not much I can do. If I'm over my head, what about this town? What are they going to do without me?"

"That's a question you're going to have to ask yourself," Sam replied. "If you continue down this road, we'll have to learn how to live without you. Danny, do you understand how bad you are?"

"Probably not," I admitted. "But I know I don't have a choice. With the news spreading like wildfire, the portal is even more active. I don't know what to do!"

"What we do is we sit down together and figure this out," Tucker replied. "There's nothing we can't do together."

I groaned. "Tonight. We'll go over some solutions at school today."

"No," Sam replied. "If you won't go home, you're sleeping in school today. You need to strengthen your human half. If a big ghost does show up today at school, then you're in trouble."

"Okay," I replied.

"We'll talk about it on patrol. We'll take the Fentonfones."

"Deal," I replied. We picked up our pace walking to school.

"Oh, Danny," Tucker replied. "I wanted to show you something."

"What," I asked, confused.

"I was on the internet day before yesterday when I came across this website. I done some research and the car lot have some in stock."

"Car lot," I asked, becoming more confused. "Tuck, we're just fourteen!"

"Trust me," Tucker replied. "We'll need to start saving now to afford it." Tucker started laughing after a moment and I joined along with him. Of course we could afford it now but he was just making a statement. I know what he's talking about.

**AN: I received a review yesterday alerting me that while I have warned for the explicit sex, I didn't warn for rape. I have inserted warnings on every chapter now and that's why the story underwent a massive change yesterday. The content remains the same, I have just gave my new readers fair warning. Sorry for the inconvenience.**

**Drop me a line. All feedback is welcomed. Only one more chapter to go! Danny's Story, Part 2: New Beginnings begins Saturday! Stay tuned as the plot thickens!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom, Memory Blank, Doctors Disorders, Pirate Radio or Reign Storm, the CD Three Days Grace or the Hummer H2.**

**AN: This story contains rape, sexual content and male sex. If this disturbs you, please do not read.**

**Chapter 17: The Decision**

"The Hummer H2," I replied, my eyes wide as I took in its massive size. This baby had it all. It could go anywhere, could do anything.

"You've got to be kidding me," Sam retorted.

"Isn't it everything I said and more," Tucker asked, him in the same trance-like state I was.

"Yes, it is," I said, just staring at its beauty.

"Ten miles to the gallon," Sam squealed. "Look at that, it's made with leather. Creatures destroyed for their hides! That's outrageous! Come on, Danny! You can't be in love with this stupid truck!"

"It's beautiful," I replied, wiping an invisible tear.

"Come on, guys, we're going to be late for school," Sam demanded. She stomped off in the opposite direction.

I caught sight of these buttons. "I wonder what this button does," I asked, pushing it. Suddenly the truck exploded and a giant cow roared at us. "Not that!" Tucker scampered away, a fifty foot cow too much for him to handle. I looked around the lot, seeing all the vehicles, hundreds of thousands of dollars in inventory. I had to get it away from here. I lifted into the air, summoning my ghost half. "Follow me," I called. However, instead of following me, it lifted up its leg. It wouldn't!

The cow released a gush of milk, covering me from head to toe. I heard Tucker cry in disgust below. I looked down to see him covered as well. "I just became lactose intolerant," Tucker retorted, shaking the milk off of his hands. This is so wrong on so many levels!

It didn't take long to defeat the ghost cow but because of my weakness, it took longer than normal. Of course, that didn't stop Sam from busting my chops about cruelty to plastic, un-living animals. She defended the beast, saying it was doing a public service destroying the evil trucks. I ignored her, walking towards the school. My body heat was starting to bake the milk, making my skin become cracked. I need to get this stuff off of me.

"Oh, duh," I replied, feeling completely stupid. I turned myself intangible, allowing the baked on goop fall to the concrete.

"Uh," Tucker replied. "Hello!"

I'm getting to it, I thought to myself. I touched my finger to him, turning him intangible as well. The milk drained out of his hair and clothing. "Thanks," Tucker called.

"Danny," a voice called from across the street. I looked in the direction to see Paulina running across the road. "Hey, Danny!"

"Paulina," I asked, confused. What does she want?

"You're very hard to find," Paulina complained. "Papa has rented out the Country Club for my quince. I've been trying to give you these all week!"

"For what," I asked.

"I want you to come, silly," she replied.

"Me," I asked, confused. What the heck is going on? Am I going to be on Punked - Amity Park edition?

"Of course," she replied.

"You remembered to invite me, right," Tucker asked, hopeful.

"And remembered not to invite me," Sam said, crossing her arms.

Paulina pulled out a flyer, "Everyone's invited!" She handed a second one to Sam. Tucker rejoiced while Sam cursed the day the girl was born.

"Everyone," I asked, not believing it. Why are you really doing this, I sent out.

_I can't make it seem too obvious_, Paulina thought. It sounded like me with a Spanish accent. Actually, it sounds like I do when I teach Spanish. _Wherever he seems to be, the ghost boy seems to be. I really want him to be there_!

Great, I thought to myself. Things just keep getting better and better.

"You will be attending, no," Paulina remarked.

"Oh, yeah, I'll be there. I promise," I replied, chuckling. I couldn't get the irony out of my mind. I'm the last person there when the ghost boy is around, in a sense. I am the ghost boy so therefore I am there but I'm overthinking this.

"Yes," Paulina celebrated. "See you Friday!"

"Unbelievable," Sam retorted. "Do you guys remember what this Friday is?" I went over the date in my head but came up empty handed. "The movie! Remember!"

"That chick-flick," Tucker asked, his brow ceasing.

"It's not a chick-flick," Sam defended. "It's just an action movie starring girls. It's going to be awesome."

"It'll probably have nudity," I whispered to Tucker.

"It's rated PG-13," Tucker shot back, "probably not!"

I chuckled. Maybe he's not as naïve as I thought. "Come on, Sam. We never get invited to these parties. Can't we go some other time?"

"Non-refundable tickets," Sam remarked.

"Oh, sure," I smirked. "Because the movie theater sells tickets before the showing!"

Sam blushed. "You promised, though!"

"And I'll keep my promise," I replied. "We'll go Saturday… or Friday after the party. Come on, Sam."

Sam crossed her arms stubbornly. I looked to Tuck.

"Pretty please, with those dark licorice sprinkles and black frosting you like with those little gummy bats on top," Tuck and I both pleaded.

Sam sighed, caving in. "Fine, I'll go to the party."

"Yes," Tucker and I called, smacking hands.

"Thanks," I said, smiling in her direction. Sam had a soft smile on her lips. I'd need to do something for her later. We continued walking to school, Sam leading. I heard Sam grumble about not being so cruel she'd wish something bad would happen to Paulina and the party would be cancelled. That girl really does hate Paulina.

XXX

We made it to school but Sam and Tucker wouldn't let me sit up. They practically pushed my head down on the table as I sat down. I didn't fight it, drifting off to sleep. When my ghost sense went off, I hadn't even realized the bell had rang. Apparently it had because class had started. I stood up, stretched and walked out of the class.

Sam and Tucker sat down beside of me in English even though they weren't supposed to. I drifted off to sleep before class began. My ghost sense, once again, woke me up. However, before I had the chance to stand up, the ceiling collapsed, a strange looking woman falling into the room. Mr. Lancer tried to be brave but abandoned that thought, pulling the fire alarm and running for his life.

As soon as the room was clear, I transformed into my ghost half and engaged in battle. I had gotten some sleep but I was still drained. The ghost added another gash to my arm. I held onto my injury as she hissed Sam's name. I stared at her in shock as she dissolved away. That was weird!

Third and fourth periods followed the same order while I was forced to stay awake for fifth period so I could teach it. Before I joined Sam and Tucker at lunch, I flew home to grab one of the specter deflectors. I didn't know what was going off, but somehow it involved Sam. I wouldn't jeopardize her safety. When I returned, I told Sam and Tucker about my encounter with the most bizarre ghost of the day. Something was different about that attack. They weren't related but something was going off that wasn't average.

When the screaming began from inside the cafeteria, I slipped the specter belt around her waist and went to fight the ghost. Luckily, it wasn't involving Paulina; it was just an average ghost. Gym, seventh and eight periods came and went, each one experiencing a ghost attack. Detention went like normal too. On our way home, however, another scream occurred. This one was familiar.

"Paulina," I replied, noticing the accent. "Again!"

"On the way home from school," Tucker asked, confused.

"Tucker, get Sam home," I replied. "Stay out of this. You might get hurt. You should just lay low!"

I knew the minute I said that I had opened a can of worms I should have left alone. Even Tucker picked at it, quoting me in sarcasm. She wouldn't leave now if I tried dragging her away. I didn't have time for this, though. I transformed and flew after the ghost. Sure enough, another strange looking ghost was attacking Paulina. This time, it was chasing her on her bike. Paulina was clinging to a dress.

"Hey," Paulina cried as the ghost shot a blast at her. It was not ectoplasm. "I just got this back from the cleaners!" Paulina tried outrunning the ghost but the ghost was just toying with her. When she chased Paulina into a corner, she cried out, "This is like the worse birthday week ever!"

I flew over to her, trying to cheer her up, "Let's see if we can change that!"

"And now it's not," Paulina cried, happily.

_Hey, maybe if I invite him I can uninvited Danny Fenton and his dorky friends_, Paulina thought. I really wished my powers hadn't chosen that moment to listen in on her thoughts because it distracted me. The ghost smacked me away without trouble and shocked me. Still being so weak, my power gave out and I transformed back into a human.

"Leave him alone," I heard a female voice. I looked up weakly to see Sam on a scooter charging at the ghost. If I'm not mistaken, Sam was on Paulina's scooter. The ghost landed not ten feet from where I laid in the snowy water fountain. The ghost stood up, staring at Sam. She whispered as the last one did and also vanished.

"Wow," Sam commented, "You were right. That specter deflector works like a charm."

"Thanks," I replied. I stood up but my foot slipped on the ice. Before I could catch myself, Sam had caught me. I didn't feel the choking sensation but instead but met with a painful jolt. I collapsed back into the water fountain.

"Are you okay," Sam asked me, concerned.

"That was different," I thought as an afterthought. "I can't help but think this has something to do with you, Sam."

"Well, you're welcome," Sam said sarcastically with a snort. "I can't believe you're blaming me!"

"It wouldn't be the first time you were the cause of an attack," I retorted. "Let's make the menu recycle-vegeterian! Let's let the gorilla out! Let's save the frogs!"

"Anything else you want to blame me for," Sam retorted defensively. "Puberty, world hunger, global warming!"

"I'm sorry," I declared, "but both ghosts knew your name. Don't you find that suspicious?"

"No, I don't," Sam demanded. "We fight ghosts every day! Do you think Paulina would have saved you back there?"

"She would have tried," I defended.

Sam grunted, "Oh, sometimes there are days I wish I never even met you," Sam screamed. She stormed off in the opposite direction, leaving the scooter behind. I stared after her, trying to figure out where this had gone so horribly wrong. You need to make this right, Fenton.

"Just great," I thought bitterly. "You just might have lost one of the only true friends you have!"

"Finally," another female voice cried. What is this, attack of the estrogen? I turned to see smoke rising. Desiree formed in front of me, larger than she was last time.

"Desiree," I asked, confused. "You look…"

"Different," she admitted. "More powerful! Why yes! The more wishes I grant the more powerful I get." Oh, no. I get it.

"What do you want," I demanded, triggering the rings. I don't have a lot of strength left.

"You out of the way," Desiree replied without hesitation. Why do I have a bad feeling about this. "By tomorrow night. But it's not about what I want, it's about what your little friend wants. And she just wished she'd never met you."

"And so she has wished it, so shall it be!"

…

Memories of the last two days flooded my memory… or should I say memories of the last eight years flooded my memory. Anyhow, I remembered who I was now. Pushing aside everything I was feeling, I pointed the thermos at Desiree and sucked her inside. I could have wished her inside but Sam already defeated her using her own powers against her. No sense in adding insult to injury. The various wishes started disappearing, the two evil bushes popping out of existence. I heard Tucker cry in sorrow as his truck disappeared.

I took a deep breath, putting my head on my chest. Strangely, there was some kind of symbol on my chest. "Hey," I cried, dropping the thermos. "What'd you do to my costume?"

"Nothing," Sam replied as I bent down to pick the thermos back up. "It's always been like that."

"Watch where you point that thing," Tucker retorted as I came back up. I glared at him, the memories struggling to catch up through my mind.

"I know what I'm doing now," I retorted.

I plopped down on the ground, triggering my rings. Sam and Tucker sat close to me, allowing my body heat to keep them warm. We watched the last little bit of the meteor shower.

"Weren't we invited to that party," Tucker asked after some time. The shower had slowed down considerably and even I was growing bored.

"Yeah, and Paulina's expecting a visit from the ghost boy, remember. You should probably keep your promise."

I checked my watch, seeing we still had time before the theater closed. "I probably should."

XXX

When I returned home that night, my mom told me she had a message for me. I noted it, heading to bed. Vlad would probably kill me for missing two days' worth of apartment hunting but hopefully amnesia would excuse me. I fell asleep, finally getting some of the rest I needed.

The next morning I dialed the number Mom had wrote down for me. "This is Danny Fenton, you called my house yesterday," I asked.

"Yes, Mr. Fenton. This is Gensteel. We're constructing your headquarters," the man replied.

"Is it ready," I asked, my heart leaping to my throat in anticipation.

"Yes, sir," he replied. "I just need you to come out here and inspect it. Once you approve of it, we will hand you the keys."

"When can you meet me there," I asked.

"Anytime, sir," he replied.

"How about noon," I asked.

"We'll be there," he replied. "Have a good day."

"See you at noon," I replied. I hung up the phone, laughing excitedly. Finally, headquarters is done. I dialed Sam's and Tucker's numbers simultaneously, making a party line. Once both were on the line, I made the announcement, "It's finished. Headquarters is up. All we have to do is approve it."

Both of them celebrated, sharing my enthusiasm. "When are we supposed to approve it," Tucker asked me.

"Noon today," I answered. "You guys can make it, right?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Sam replied.

"What else would we do," Tucker remarked.

"Okay," I replied. "Meet me at the property at… no, wait a minute. That's enough time to give Sam pneumonia. I'll pick you guys up."

"Okay," Tucker replied.

"Very funny," Sam retorted.

"See you guys then," I replied. I hung up the phone, heading back up to my room. I picked up my team phone, dialing Vlad's cell phone.

"Hello," Vlad answered. I wasn't sure if he knew who this was or not.

"Vlad," I spoke softly.

"Daniel, where were you yesterday," Vlad demanded.

"Amnesia-stricken," I replied weakly.

"What," Vlad replied, his voice displaying his confusion.

"It's a long story," I replied. "I just wanted to apologize. I have some business to do today so if you wanted to do anything then now is the only chance I have."

"I don't work around your schedule," Vlad retorted.

"If you want this ass, then yes you do," I shot back. "Vlad, I'm incredibly busy. I have ghosts coming out of the kazoo, parents' who are freaking out, schoolwork that is never ending and chores to do. I'm sorry if I'm a little preoccupied."

"I could always take you," Vlad said.

"Oh, will you just drop that. I promise you if you take me from my town and my family, I will make your life a living hell," I said, my voice even.

"The only thing that should matter to you is me," Vlad replied through the earpiece.

"Well, I hate to be the bringer of bad news but you are the least of my concerns. I'm over all the heartbreak. I just want to get back to living the rest of my half-life."

"I can't meet you today anyhow," Vlad replied. "I have business to tend to at DALV."

"So I'll see you tomorrow," I asked for clarity.

"Probably," Vlad replied. "I know for sure Monday. We have an appointment at five o'clock like normal."

"Okay," I replied. "E-mail me the address to my team e-mail address. Don't send it to my personal account."

"Why not," Vlad asked me.

"Parental lock down," I replied. "Mom and Dad are keeping a closer eye on who I contact. They've started to monitor my calls and my computer activity. They don't know about Team Phantom or else they'd have that locked down. I don't have a cell phone yet but as soon as I get one again, you can be sure it'll be monitored too."

"Okay," Vlad replied. "I'll send it to your team account. I won't mark it. It'll just have the address."

"Thanks," I replied. "Goodbye, Vlad."

"Goodbye, Daniel."

XXX

With four hours free, I dug around in my closet until I found the bags that I still hadn't unpacked from my Christmas trip to Vlad's. I dug around for the dehydrator, emptying the contents of my suitcases on the floor. I came across a small black box and the memories of buying this for Mom filled my head. It's been nearly two months since I bought this and I still haven't given it to her. I placed it in my pocket, determined to finally give it to her. On the ground, I spotted the dehydrator.

I ran downstairs, the dehydrator in my back pocket. I walked into the kitchen where Mom was preparing breakfast. "Hey, Mom."

"Hey, baby," Mom greeted me. "You look much better."

"Thanks," I replied. I pulled out the box with the necklace, "I bought this for you during the week at Vlad's but I got so caught up I forgot to give it to you. I'm sorry it's taken so long, but here," I replied. I slid it on the counter, resting it just outside her reach. "I hope you like it."

I turned to leave while Mom walked over to the box. I didn't want to be here when she figured out how much it cost. I heard the creak of the case as I passed the steps and before I closed the door, I heard her gasp. I transformed, flying to Jefferson County. I went to the Lowe's there, shopping for some items I needed to fix up the house. Once I paid for them, I dehydrated them and put it in my 'pack', which was just made of ectoplasm.

XXX

I spent three hours insulating the house, removing the carpets, tearing up the floorboards, and de-junking the place. I took my time, knowing there was no hurry. If I rushed, I could finish all this in just one hour but I took my time, leaving a lot undone just before noon. I locked up the house, flying to Sam's. Next I picked up Tucker and we all flew out to headquarters.

"Oh, my goodness," Sam declared. The building was simple. It was just as we ordered. It was a one-floor unit but it was built to be as tall as a third story building. The entrance was at the top of the building and the contractor's had a scaffolding set up to enter the building. There were no windows and even the entrance wasn't apparent. I removed a small cube from my pocket, one of my parents' various inventions. I placed it on the snow, pushing the button to expand it. The cube expanded to that of an elevator. I pushed a second button, holding it in place. These railings started to climb and when I released the button, they ceased their climb. I pushed the button one more time and the railings anchored into the ground like a ladder.

"Just when you think they can't get any smarter," Tucker said in awe. "A portable elevator."

"Mom discovered the odds of getting stuck in an elevator. Most people carry car escapes, I carry an elevator escape. If anyone could, she said," I replied. It's the truth except now I have ghost powers to help me escape.

"Team Phantom," a man called from the entrance. "Whoa, when did this get here!"

"Hello," I called, "We'll be up in a moment, Mr. McAlister."

I lead Sam and Tucker onto the elevator and activated it. When it started to move, Tucker's curiosity got the best of him. "Where does it draw its power from?"

"A very small generator," I replied. "It uses ectoplasm to fuel it. It generates self-stabilizing energy. If Samuels would allow it, ectoplasm would be the best source of energy, beating out all the others."

"This is amazing," Tucker replied. When the elevator came to a stop, we climbed out and walked through the entrance. They had a scaffolding inside as well. They had installed our training area, the storage areas, the offices and the living quarters. Sam looked around in awe and even Tucker and I were impressed.

"Well, what do you think about it," Mr. McAlister asked us.

"It's amazing," Sam declared. "I'm so impressed."

"Thank you, Miss Manson," Mr. McAlister replied. "Mr. Fenton, Mr. Foley."

"Truly a work of genius," Tucker complimented.

"We picked someone who knew what he was doing," I replied. "Simply perfect!"

"Follow me," Mr. McAlister remarked. He lead us off the scaffolding and onto the main floor. The ceiling was equipped with the training programs we had bought and even some we had invented ourselves. On the main floor was the completion of training equipment, a storage area, a living quarters and the offices. The place had simple, smooth flowing rooms. There were really no boundaries. The only places that were closed off was the living quarters. Inside should be the bedrooms, a closet, kitchen, dining room, bathroom and a washroom. We had that installed in case we were ever pushed to stay the night.

"Did you have any problems installing the devices we gave you," I asked.

"No," he responded. "If it did seem challenging, the directions you included cleared it up. I do not understand how they were invented but how to install them I got perfectly."

"Don't try to understand how they were invented," I playfully warned, "It'll hurt your head. Believe me."

"His parents' are quite imaginative," Sam replied.

"I'm surprised you would even need someone to build this for you," Mr. McAlister replied. "Your parent's designs prove that they could do this for you."

"They could have," I replied, "but I wanted it to remain isolated. We needed a private work space."

Mr. McAlister lead us into the living quarters and showed us the room. Everything was perfect.

I looked to Sam and Tucker as Sam replied, "We approve."

"Okay," Mr. McAlister replied. "The payment has already been made, so there is nothing more for us to do. We'll clean up our work zone and clear out." He dug into his pocket removing a set of keys. "Here you go."

I took the keys, "Finally," I smiled.

"Now we can really begin," Sam smiled. No fear of exposure. No interruptions. A place where we belong. A place we own.

"Where do we begin," Tucker replied, the grin plastered on his face.

"Unloading our stuff at Danny's parent's house," Sam responded.

"Agreed," I replied.

"Let's go, then," Tucker replied. We walked for the door.

"Thanks again," I called before I stepped on the elevator.

"The pleasure was ours," Mr. McAlister replied. I closed the elevator, riding back to the ground.

XXX

At Fentonworks, we loaded up the various objects that we wanted to store at HQ. My blood work, our diaries, my computer program of our battles, the film documentaries we had created, and the equipment needed to continue our work. From my bedroom, I removed the footage I've cut from the cameras, my personal effects, and five outfits. I brought the boxes downstairs to the lab and stored them in the Specter Speeder. Once we had loaded the speeder up with all our belongings we wanted to store at HQ, we went to Sam's and Tucker's house to remove anything they wanted to store there.

Mostly they brought the five outfits, but Sam did bring down some personal diaries and a laptop. Tucker only brought two bags, one filled with clothes and the other's contents were a mystery to me. "I'll buy new equipment," I informed them. I still had nearly fifty thousand dollars in my checking account. I transferred that much for both projects, my new home and our headquarters. Which would be more expensive is still up for debate. While the house needs countless repairs and updates, HQ needs expensive equipment and the objects of daily life. Paying for the building was only the beginning.

Once we were content with the objects we had, Tucker flew the Specter Speeder to HQ. We had located this property while going over the books in the city hall. Because of the many attacks on the town, the insurance companies stopped paying the damage done on the homeowner's properties. Then there were the people who didn't have homeowner insurance and were forced to do the repairs themselves. We set up a fund that the people can dip into and we were going through the logs to see how much property was in Amity Park. We came across a small piece of land, no bigger than 500 yards, that was privately owned while the surrounding land was owned by the coal companies.

I contacted the landholder and asked if he was interested in selling. He told me the land belonged to his grandfather and when the coal company came in the area, he refused to sell out. I thought at first he would deny in the memory of his grandfather but he told me as long as I didn't sell it to the coal company I would be more than welcome to buy it. The land wasn't expensive. I paid a little over ten thousand for it. Sam and Tucker were ecstatic about getting a private place to hold our belongings.

The area wasn't very far from Fentonworks. Hidden under numerous tall trees, the area can't be seen. Even now, with the headquarters standing the height of a three story building, the area is still hidden. Surrounded by the coal companies property, the only way out here besides the way we're coming is on a small, winding road—all of it dirt. The community that use to exist here has always been wild. Most residents of Tillings Gulch owned farmland but most of the people lost their farms as times became rough. Those that managed to stay afloat done so barely so when the coal companies came offering money for their lands, so many of them jumped on the chance to live better lives.

However, the coal companies were surprised to learn that the bedrock in this area was so unstable that mining would be nearly impossible. The coal seam was deep underground so strip mining the area was out of the question. The companies were just left with expensive property that they could do nothing with. The entire town of Tillings Gulch, save for HQ, is up for sale if someone could afford the three million dollar price tag that comes with it. Not even this boy is that rich.

Tucker landed the Specter Speeder into the field we had cleared for this purpose and we began to unload the vehicle. It was after two before we finished unpacking. There was so much left to do but Sam and Tucker were growing hungry and weary. Time for a break. We boarded the Specter Speeder again and took it home, heading to the Nasty Burger for lunch.

XXX

We took turns watching the Specter Speeder while two of us went shopping. Both Sam and Tucker were on the checkbook so both of them could sign the check to pay for the purchases we were making. Since he was the one flying, Tucker took first shift. He flew the Specter Speeder out of sight while Sam and I shopped for home furnishings. We bought new furniture, three bedroom sets, kitchen appliances, and flooring. When we delivered it back to HQ, we went to various places for material. We needed bed sheets, throw rugs, pillows, and the like. We also picked up clothing while we were there. Sam and Tucker done that while I flew the Specter Speeder out of sight. We weren't in Amity Park; a flying vehicle was too dangerous to leave lying around.

Tucker and I shopped for computer programs and equipment after we delivered the half-packed material trip supplies. When we returned to HQ, the Specter Speeder was a far cry from empty. We had new computers, new laptops, several printers, and a bunch of other stuff I could only imagine what they did. When we unloaded that, it was after six. We still had one more shop to do but this one would be easy. I was going to buy new ghost hunting equipment from my parents but not let them know it was me. The only way to do that was order over the internet using the paranormal ghost hunting link.

We set up HQ until everything was perfect. I kept noticing Sam inching closer to me, her arms revealing goose bumps. I stood up, removing a quilt from the linen closet and draped it over her shoulder. She tried to shrug out of it but I tightly wrapped it around her. "Until I get a fire started," I instructed. With that, I floated out of HQ and searched for some firewood.

Tomorrow I'd have to cut down some trees for a more substantial source but tonight it was getting too cold out to leave Sam without heat. Knowing her, she's already shrugged out of that blanket.

I came back in with some wood and I placed it in the fireplace. The majority of HQ had electric burners but Sam wanted the living quarters to be pure and only have a large fire place and a small individual ones in the bedrooms. Tuck and I had no problem with that so we included it in the design. I formed ectoplasm around my human hands, removing the moisture from the wood. Once the wood was dry enough to start a fire, I shot a single, low powered blast to the bottom. The fire cracked to life as the blast made contact. I walked back to the couch, pulling Sam against my chest until the fire could take over for me. Just as I suspected, the blanket laid around her waist, her shoulders exposed.

"You are going to get sick if you keep this up," I scolded her, pulling her into my warmth.

"I've always been like this," Sam defended. "I can't stand something touching my shoulders. You remember my dress during the dance. By the time we had our dance, those sleeves were ripped to shreds."

I chuckled, "Yes, I remember." I allowed a few moments to pass. "What is it with your shoulders that make you hate contact so much," I asked, my voice soft.

Sam nestled her head in my shoulder, her breathing ragged. "My grandfather, Mom's Dad. Before he decided that I was too wild, he use to visit from overseas all the time. Every time he came around, he placed his hands on my shoulders. He was trying to change me, Danny. Anything touching me, except for you and Tucker, is like him trying to change me again. I won't be controlled."

I pulled her closer, my heart sagging, "You're perfect the way you are, Sam. I wouldn't change you for the world."

"I know," Sam whispered. "That's why you are the only one allowed to touch me anytime."

The fire cracked and popped as we lay wrapped up in each other. It reminded me so much of our future together. We have children early so it was never alone but we were always near each other. Sam went to college to become a lawyer and I went to college to become a teacher. I shudder at the thought but that's what my dreams tell me. I take comfort in knowing some things change in those dreams. I just hope the big picture doesn't change. Sam and I, sitting on the couch of our home, wrapped up in each other as our daughter toddled on the floor, a mixture of ghost powers and human abilities. A true halfa. The natural born halfa generation.

I love you, Sam, I thought to myself as I felt sleep coming over me. I hope that never changes.

I rushed through a strange place, knowing exactly where I was going. A faint smell had reached me but it was muted and unidentifiable. I tore through the living room, searching for some kind of book. Where is it? Where is that stupid book?

These kinds of dreams are my favorite. I'm not waking up. I'm not so close to the present that I mistake it for real life. It's a big flashing neon sign: pathetic dream!

I looked towards the door, expecting something. "What book are you searching for," Sam asked me as she entered into the frame. She held a cup of coffee in her hands and was dressed in a simple black dress with black leggings. A small crystal hung around her neck held by something that could have been a shoelace. The crystal was shaped like an elongated diamond.

"My biology book," I replied. I returned to searching for the book, neatly tearing the place apart. Once I finished ripping it apart, I put it back together. My future-self did not want to face the wrath of a nearly completed half ghost.

"Last I saw it, you were working on it in bed last night," Sam replied. The image returned to my head with a sigh. Both Sam and I wanted to do other things but we both had finals to study for. The last thing we wanted to do in that bed was study but we did.

"Right," I said, heading for the bedroom. "Thanks, honey."

"No problem," Sam replied from behind me. "You will be eating, won't you?"

"I wouldn't miss it," I called, my mind on my book. I ran into the room to see a tiny three year old on my bed. "Lilly," I cried as she sat around my shredded biology book.

"Hi Dad," she replied. Her voice was still child-like but her mind was completely activated. "It wasn't me. I'm trying to fix it!"

"Cujo," I said, turning my eyes in the room to find the dead puppy.

"He's not here," Lilly replied. "I chased him away."

"Good girl," I replied. "Are you doing it like I taught you?"

"Yeah," Lilly replied. "Imagine the page, pull up energy and attach it to the book. I've almost got it done."

"Good girl," I replied. I walked over to the bed and sat down, picking up some of the shredded pages. I imagined the page and formed ectoplasm in my hand. However, the page didn't appear. Instead, I imagined another page. I worked along with her, picking up the pages as I imagined them.

"Where am I going today," Lilly asked me as she held the torn page in one hand and the fabricated in the other.

""Grandma's," I answered her.

"Grandma Maddie, Grandma Carla, or Grandma Miranda," she asked.

"Carla," I replied. "I guess I should have said Great-Grandma, huh?"

"No hard feelings," Lilly chuckled. "I can only expect so much from you."

"Ha, ha," I retorted playfully. "Great-Grandma will be here in a little bit. Behave for her and Great-Grandpa, okay."

"Okay, Daddy," Lilly replied. She formed her last page while I picked up the last page on the bed. I imagined it, dropping the shredded page on the complete pile.

"Are you ready," I asked her.

"You go first," Lilly replied.

"Okay," I smiled. I extinguished the ectoplasm around my hand and extended a finger. "One finger, think of fire." Suddenly my finger sparked alive with real fire, like Grandma's, and not ectoplasm. "Okay, you try."

Lilly held out her hand then extended a finger as she tucked the rest away. Knitting her eyebrows together, she concentrated on her finger. Finally, it sparked alive like mine. She cried out in surprise but it eventually turned into a fit of giggling. "I did it!"

"Of course you did," I replied. "You're not the daughter of the two most powerful ghosts in the universe and not be able to do that."

"Okay," she giggled, her blue eyes blazing. She placed her finger to the pile of papers and they roared to life.

"Control it," I said softly. "Don't let it escape. Don't let it burn the bed."

"I control the fire," she giggled. "I know!"

I watched her until the fire extinguished. The bed was spotless. I touched my still-lit finger to my pile and completed her activity. "Are you ready for breakfast, Lilly?"

"Yeah," she called. I smiled at her and held my right arm out. The book floated from the bed from the corner of my eye and landed in my left hand. Lilly jumped into my arm and I carried her to the kitchen.

"There's my girl," Sam called. "Find your book, honey?"

"Yeah," I smiled. "Cujo decided to play tug of war and the book lost. Lilly fixed it for me."

"Daddy helped," Lilly replied. "I lit a fire today, Mommy!"

"You did," Sam replied, her expression of excitement. "And our bed is still good as new?"

"Yes, ma'am," Lilly replied, her head nodding in confirmation.

"Then I guess you deserve these apple fritters," she replied.

"I love apple," she cried. We all knew she loved apples.

I placed Lilly on the chair and took my seat beside her. Sam brought breakfast over and placed it in front of me. I started to cut her food but Lilly objected. "Daddy," she cried. "I fight ghosts. I can cut my food myself!"

"You do not fight ghosts yet," I playfully shot back at her. "Uncle Froot Loop would have my head if you did that!"

"I don't care," Lilly retorted. "Um, about Uncle Froot Loop. Not about him having your head."

Sam and I laughed at our daughter but I allowed her to cut up her own food. I began to eat, the taste there but subtle. A thought kept racing through my head though and I wanted to kick myself every time I thought it. I miss Vlad.

Sam came over, sitting beside Lilly. She sent me a knowing look and I looked away. I'm sorry. I can't help it, thought.

_I know_, Sam's voice came through my head. It was her voice, not mine. _I don't blame you, either. Lilly and I aren't enough to give you the feeling you need. Just hang in there. I'll completely turn over in two more years, honey. Until then, you can feel through me_.

It doesn't work that way, though, I said sadly. You feel what I feel but I have to access your mind to feel what you feel. I'm afraid to do that anymore. You are using my powers as it is. What could happen if I opened your mind anymore?

"Will you two stop that," Lilly cried, upset. "I may be three but you don't have to hide things from me!"

I looked at my daughter and smiled sadly at her. I'd hide her from this for as long as possible. She can't know that I still have feelings for Vlad… she just can't. She would never forgive me for that kind of betrayal. He hurt us and she still hasn't forgiven him. If she knew I have… she'd hate me forever.

"I'm sorry," I tried to put on a bashful face. "Mommy and I were discussing things Mommy and Daddies do."

"Yeah, right," Lilly retorted. "You were talking about him!"

I looked at Sam and her eyes held the same look I knew mine was. How much longer can I pretend this isn't effecting us? How much longer can I pretend that every night I'm with Sam, I spend another three nights wishing she were Vlad? How much longer can I keep this hidden from Lilly?

"Maybe someday when you're older you'll understand," I whispered to her softly. Damn Vlad! Why can't I move on with my life? Why can't I be with the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with? Why can't I forget him?

XXX

I opened my eyes to find I was no longer at HQ. I was in bed, Sam and Tucker lying around me. I guess it came time for curfew so they flew me home while I was still asleep. I wonder how they got by Mom and Dad with me. The same way they did it after the fight with Lunch Lady, probably. That was another inaccuracy with the show. Sam said Tucker's line and Tuck said Sam's line. The show!

I was supposed to meet the kids to watch the show. I haven't done it since Wednesday and it's early Sunday morning. They're going to kill me! I looked at the clock and it was barely two o'clock. I snuggled back into the covers and decided to get some more sleep. I wouldn't wake Sam and Tucker up just to say I'm out of my dream. They were sleeping too peacefully.

XXX

When my alarm started going off, I gently tapped it off. Six-forty-five. I stretched and sat up on the bed. My movements must have woken up Sam because I heard the quiet sounds of disturbed slumber. "You can go back to sleep if you want," I whispered.

"Danny," Sam called, sitting up. That woke up Tucker, him shooting up in bed.

"You're awake," Tucker cried, over joyous. "What did you dream of?"

I coughed. "The future. First year of college. Nothing too big."

"That's all you're going to tell us," Sam objected.

"There's not much to tell," I said. "I was hunting for my biology book and Cujo had destroyed it. It was fluff." I laughed to myself. I used a term used on Fan Fiction a lot.

"Fluff with Cujo," Tucker said, knitting his eyebrows.

"No," I retorted. "Actually, I didn't see Cujo. M-M—someone told me it was Cujo." What do I tell them? Do I tell them I had a daughter in my dream?

And where did she come from. She was three years old during the first year of college. That would mean Sam would be pregnant now? I haven't had sex with Sam and as far as I know Sam's still a virgin. Does that mean she will get pregnant soon? When do we get together? According to my dreams, it happens during that thing with the giant asteroid. That was my second dream and all of it was without sound. Talk about a bad time for the speakers to blow!

"Your what," Sam asked, my attempt to curb back my slipup not effective.

"My what," I asked, trying to sound genuine.

"Danny," Sam scolded. "You started to say 'My'. So your what?!"

"I'm not entirely sure," I tried to explain. "My dream told me she was my daughter," I said softly.

"Daughter," Tucker and Sam both declared, surprised.

"In the first year of college," Tucker cried. "Geez, Danny!"

"Tell me about it," I replied. "But I don't believe it was accurate. The girl was three years old. I'm not dating anyone and I'm certainly not having sex with anyone. Who could be the mother?"

"Wow," Sam commented, "Talk about the ultimate mystery."

I chuckled nervously, "Tell me about it!"

"Was there a woman in your dream," Sam asked me, her eyes displaying something I must have misread. Why would Sam be jealous of my future wife?

"Yeah," I replied, my voice soft. "My wife; the mother of my daughter."

"Have you dreamed of her before," Sam asked, her skin paling. What is wrong with her?

"Yeah," I replied. "Our wedding was the first pathetic dream I had."

"Do you know her," Sam asked, her voice soft and choked up.

"What is wrong with you," I asked her. "Are you sick?"

"I-I'm fine," Sam replied, turning her head from me. "I'm asking too much. It's none of my business."

"Danny," Tucker shot at me. "Tell her who your wife is?"

How does he know? I've never told him that! "I'm not sure I should," I spoke softly.

"I'm not sure you should either," Sam replied, sitting up. "I'm going to get dressed," she replied, grabbing her clothes and leaving.

"What was that about," I asked, watching her leave.

"I should beat your ass for that," Tucker retorted, angry. "You broke her heart. Because you didn't tell her she was your wife, you made her think you two don't get together, Danny!"

"Tucker," I retorted, "Sam doesn't love me that way yet. I don't know what is wrong with her but I plan on finding out!"

"You are so clueless," Tucker retorted. He stood up in a huff, grabbing his clothes and slamming my door shut. I stared at the door in shock. What the hell is going on?

XXX

Tucker and Sam left as soon as they were dressed and I wasn't sure where they went. I wanted to find out what was wrong with Sam but they wouldn't give me the chance to ask. I finally gave up on talking to them now and decided to go to my house in Elemerton. Before I headed that way, though, I ran to Jefferson County to get some flooring. I had no carpeting and some of the rooms had no flooring. This stuff I had delivered though. With the day being early I managed to get a same-day delivery. I was putting the hardwood flooring down in the living room when I felt it. I looked up in fear as I saw Vlad teleport in. How did he know to look for me here?

"Daniel," Vlad replied but stopped abruptly. "Where are we?"

"You don't know," I asked in shock. "You just teleported to me!"

"I can teleport to a location or to a person. I was just teleporting to you," Vlad replied. "What is this place?"

I stood up, preparing for the worse. I wasn't ready to show him this place yet. There's still so much to do. "This is the property I looked at… it's ours."

Vlad's demeanor went dark and his body became rigid. Shoot! There's still so much work to be done that there was no way in hell I could convince him this place would work. "Didn't I tell you to cancel that appointment?"

"I just wanted to find a better place," I tried to sound subordinate. I kept my voice weak and my body smaller than his in every term of the word. "An apartment was so wrong for us, Vlad. I know it wasn't my place and that you are the boss, but I knew I could convince you this would be better if I was given the chance."

"Are you repairing the place," Vlad asked me, his mood changing.

"Yeah," I said, hesitantly. "The place was a wreck. There's so much work to do. I wanted to finish the work before you saw it so you would know we could do this."

"You might have done something right when you disobeyed me," Vlad replied. "You're repairing this by human means, right?"

"Some," I replied. "I insulated the place by stuffing the insulation in the walls intangibly. Most of it I'm doing by hand, though." I hoped he wouldn't be upset about doing the insulation.

"No," Vlad replied, his voice gentle. "I want you using your powers more. This is good practice. You can learn how to use your powers in an everyday setting besides ghost hunting. I like it!" Vlad was actually kind. I stared at him in shock. "Don't disobey me again," he retorted, "but I'll let this one slide because you did good."

I smiled softly, seeing a side of Vlad I didn't believe existed. I shook my head, trying to push aside those stupid feelings that were trying to resurface. Wait for Sam, I thought to myself.

"You're not allowed to date her," Vlad retorted. "So you might as well give in to those feelings. They'll get you a lot of slack."

"You haven't seen what I've seen," I replied quietly. "I'd risk hell, fire and brimstone to live my dreams."

Vlad pulled out a cellphone and dialed a number, "This is Vlad Masters. I'm wanting to cancel the appointment I had scheduled today. Yes, I'm sure. I've found a place. Thank you."

Once he put his phone away, he walked over to me. "So," I asked, my heart blocking my throat. "What do we do?"

"Do you have a bed," Vlad asked me. There was no suggesting here. I knew what he wanted to do.

"No," I replied. "I haven't done anything to make this a home yet… just trying to make it a suitable house."

"I can make my own," Vlad replied, leaning in. I fought my racing heart and tried to remember Sam. I have my soul mate. I can last. However, I could feel my walls caving from the pressure. The feeling was returning and so was my other senses. I wouldn't be able to withstand this assault.

XXX

That night, Vlad went to a motel while I went home. He told me to meet him here tomorrow after school so we could work on this. I don't know how I'm going to make this work. There are only twenty-four hours in a day but I have enough items on my to-do list to fill forty-eight hours. I finished my homework and laid down, praying no big ghost attack would happen through the night.

School hadn't even started yet and the first ghost attack of the day had happened. I found the massive ghost to be odd but fought him anyhow. Normally animal ghosts are big in number, not size, but this mosquito was enormous. I tried to defeat it, but it was quite powerful and it trapped me in this sticky goo. Trying to escape it, I saw Paulina walking down the street. She was upside down… well, actually, that was me.

Paulina saw me too and gasped in excitement. Oh, this is so not the time for you to go fan-girl on me. "Paulina," I cried, trying to get her attention. However, her excitement grew when I called her by her name. "You should run!"

The stupid girl started to run towards me. What, do you think I like to hang upside down in a tree covered in goo for fun. "Not towards me," I said slowly, trying not to confuse her. "Away. Run!" Behind her, the bug was coming back. I guess she heard the noise or just turned in the direction I was looking in because she screamed and ran away. Dense! I put my energy into an effort to escape and broke the bond. I have to come up with a plan.

My eyes scanned the surroundings as I looked for a way to defeat this thing and suck it into my thermos. My eyes fell on the power lines. Perfect!

I made the ghost chase me and I planned on forcing him to hit those power lines if he wanted to or not. However, before I could come up with a plan, he hit them anyway and exploded. "Bug zapper," I quipped, not caring that I have no idea how that worked. However before my celebration could truly begin, a rainstorm happened. The bug exploded into millions of tiny mosquitoes. Well, that explains its size. It's just combined itself into a massive bug.

"One down, a gazillion to go," I retorted dejected. This was going to be a long day.

XXX

I was late to class as always, however this time I was following Mr. Fuluka. I guess he was still shaken from the mosquito and was late getting to class as well. I followed him in and took my seat. Mr. Fuluka didn't say anything to me, just began teaching the class.

"Hey," Sam whispered. "How'd it go?"

"Not good," I replied softly. "One massive bug became a billion tiny ones."

"Sorry," Sam said softly.

"No problem," I replied, my voice not really displaying that. This was a huge problem. I shouldn't be in here; I should be out there, catching them. However, I had to stay here. I still had human responsibilities as well.

Second period proved to be interesting when we arrived in the classroom to find that Mr. Lancer had been called out of the building for an emergency meeting. Mr. Lancer being the only one with the key to his room forgot to give it to the substitute. On the door, a note sat telling the students to report to another classroom. Surprisingly, it was on the upperclassmen's floor. I guess they were out of classrooms on the normal floor. I don't believe Sam and Tucker have been up there.

We were walking past the nurses office when I heard the steady footfalls cease from behind me. I turned around to see Tucker staring at the nurses' office sign in horror. "Uh, Tuck," I asked, running my hand in front of his eyes. Tucker began to stutter an N. "What's wrong with him," I asked Sam.

"He gets like this every time he passes the nurses office," Sam replied. Tucker finally started to stutter out the word nurse. He started shaking, completely terrified. "This is a bad one," Sam continued. She removed her backpack and took out a paper bag. You've got to be kidding me. Is it April Fools? "Go to a happy place, Tucker."

"Yeah," Tucker quipped. "I'm not passing a nurse's office. I'm passing a modeling agency!" Once we put the place behind us, Sam removed the bag, stuffing it away for a latter use.

"You're scared of the nurse's office," I asked, completely baffled. The boy fights ghosts on a daily basis! But he's scared of a nurse?

"Yes," Tucker declared, finally in control of himself. "Nurse's offices, doctor's offices, hospitals! Any place with the smell of sick people!"

I shook my head, unable to comprehend this.

"Ug, speaking of sick smells," Sam said, covering her nose. "Do you smell that stench, Tuck?"

"Stench," Tucker asked, offended. Okay, what am I missing?

"It smells like Gym shorts and Snicker Doodles," Sam asked, coughing. Sounds like something my dad would carry around on him.

"Oh, that's my cologne," Tucker replied happily. "I call it Foley by Tucker Foley. It combines a natural manly scent with a sweet smell. It's going to be a real hit!"

"I doubt it," Sam gasped. "You know, Danny, you're lucky you can't smell."

"Hey," Tucker retorted.

I laughed but took a glance around the hallway. So many freshmen stayed in the hallway, ignoring the order to go to the new classroom. Star and Kwan sat propped up against some random lockers while the others just hung around. I paled, seeing Jazz walking down the hallway. There was nowhere to run.

Suddenly Jazz yelped out, smacking her skin. "Ow," She cried. I ignored her as Sam caught my attention.

"Is Paulina glowing," Sam asked in shock. I tried to find Paulina in the crowd and finally located her. She was staring at her skin in shock as it glowed against the florescent lights.

"I know she's got perfect skin, but that's ridiculous," I declared in shock. How did she manage to get that kind of glow? Usually only ghosts carry that kind of glow. Actually, ghosts don't even glow that much.

"Stupid bug bite," Paulina declared. I realized then it wasn't the glow she was staring at in shock. She had a blemish on her perfect skin and it pissed her off.

"Bug bite," I asked in horror. Could it be involving those stupid mosquitoes? Another gasp filled my ears and I turned to see several students smacking at bugs. It's the middle of February; no bugs should be out now! As I scanned the hallway, I noticed hundreds of bugs flying down the hallway. Each one was glowing. "Oh, no," I spoke, horrified. "Cover me, guys!" I ran into a random doorway and hoped it wasn't a classroom. Sam and Tucker blocked the door while I transformed.

I summoned the thermos and went after the tiny intruders. They were relatively easy to trap in the thermos and gave no fight once trapped in the light. However, their massive amounts made them nearly impossible to defeat. Every time I thought I had the last of them, more showed up. After a few moments of finding no more, I landed beside Tucker and Sam, triggering my rings. "That's the last of them," I declared, hoping the statement would be true.

Sam yelped, smacking her skin. Tucker glared at me. "Okay, that's the last one." I declared, watching Sam intently. A scream whizzed past me as Dash ran from about ten to twenty-five of them. "Or not!" I followed Dash into the men's room but couldn't find the bugs. "Dash," I asked, hearing his groans. "Not that I care but are you okay?"

"I don't feel so good," Dash whined.

I tried to make a joke with him. "Today's Monday. They're never any good. I think they're serving goulash today, too. That won't sit well." Suddenly, this rein of fire came at me, ripping through the bathroom stall. I landed on my butt but didn't react. "Although," I said, as dread filled me. "I've never seen goulash do that!"

The door ripped off the hinges and Dash charged at me with red eyes. "Get away," Dash screamed at me, his hulking form suddenly looking terrifying. I ran into another stall and transformed, flying through the floor and back into the room.

I hit him, sending him against the ceiling and wall. "I wish I could say I didn't want to do this," I declared but his form lost its edge and he slumped forward. He began to groan again, his head landing on my chest. I groaned. "So close to a lifetime of payback!" I landed him on the ground and transformed back, not afraid of exposure. He was sick—really sick.

XXX

Mom was arguing with Mr. Fuluka as Dad cried about Jazz being sick. Mom had two daughters in that room. Both Jazz and Sam were sick and I was worried. Even when Dad handed me a snotty rag, all I did was stuff it in my pocket. I so wouldn't have done that on any other circumstance. So many students had been bitten by those bugs and now every one of them were in the room, showing signs of a mysterious illness. When the doctor came out to explain the mystery illness, I became even more suspicious. I needed to check that hospital out.

Tucker on the other hand wasn't a willing participant. I put his fears at ease as I told him he didn't need to go inside. All he had to do was stand guard and if I needed him, help out. I tried to ensure him I wouldn't need his help. However, Spectra proved otherwise. I didn't know what she wanted but I knew I didn't want to give it to her. Sorry Tuck, I need your help.

"Let me go," I screamed as loud as I could.

_Still, technically not a cry for help_, I heard him echo in my head. Just as I suspected.

How about this. "Help!"

_Well, not a cry for me._

I groaned. You're in denial, brother! "Tucker," I added, my anger sinking in. "Get your ass in here!"

_Oh, dang it_, Tucker thought. _The Calvary's coming, Danny! Whether he wants to or not_!

Finally, I felt him coming towards me. I know you're scared, Tucker but right now, so am I! There are dissecting tools on this bench!

XXX

We managed to swing by painfully so. Tucker broke his leg and before I could heal him, Mom and Dad had taken him to the hospital. Sam and I decided to leave Tucker to stew for leaving me in that dreadful place. However, Tucker had another idea. As Sam and I were heading away from the hospital, I heard Tucker call out. I looked in the direction I heard his voice to see him standing in the window. Before I could catch on, Tucker took the swan dive.

"Tucker," Sam screamed as I flew after him. I overshadowed him so he wouldn't be killed. Of course, as soon as I overshadowed him, I healed him.

"What are we going to tell my parents," I asked in horror once I exited his body.

"We'll tell them that the doctor made an error," Sam explained as she came to stand by us. "Tucker, don't you ever do that again. What if you hadn't gotten our attention?"

"Then my suffering would have been over," Tucker joked. Neither of us found his joke funny.

"Let's get you checked out," I sighed. We couldn't very well just walk out with Tucker.

XXX

Tucker faked a limp through the hospital and when we made it to Fentonworks. Mom was furious that Tucker had left the hospital but seemed to buy the fact that the doctor had misdiagnosed the broken leg. We went upstairs but the night was spent eerily silent. I wanted to get some answers from yesterday but I didn't know if I could take the awkwardness. Eventually, the night came and Sam and Tucker left. I just hoped we would never have a repeat of this. It was uncomfortable to be around them and not know what was going on.

I done some ghost hunting and of course there were plenty of opportunities. Finally at four I decided to give up and go back home. If I tried to stay out until they were all captured, I could probably be out here for days. While I was getting ready for school, I put the CD Vlad gave me into my stereo. I had plenty of time before school but it was much too late for sleep. If I started another pathetic dream, I wouldn't wake up until after school began.

I didn't have any homework due to school being disrupted during second period. So I sat on my bed, listening to the Three Days Grace CD. It was going to take a long time for morning to arrive. Hopefully the CD would help ease the long night.

When six o'clock came about, I had already circled through the CD several times. I decided to get a head start this morning and started laying my clothes out. I took my shower upstairs this morning so I could hear the songs through my wall although I could probably recall them from memory. After my shower, I checked all the areas I've been hurt at in my room. The areas where Invincible slashed me only had small scars, the area where Darcy experimented on me was absent of any blemish and so were the injuries I had experienced from exhaustion.

I fearfully looked to my chest for the blue lines. They were still there but I happened to notice that they weren't alone. Goose bumps surrounded my entire colored area of my nipple. I pinched my fingers over the nipple to get a better look at the blue lines to notice that simply touching them made me uncomfortable. I winced a little as it tingled and turned numb. I shook my head, confused as hell, but I continued to dress in my usual clothing and ran my hands through my hair.

I sat on my bed and listened as the CD once again turned over. 'Burn' began to play while I inspected my backpack. I inspected my weapons box, went through my school belongings and checked the pack for any breakdowns. 'Just Like You' started when I tossed my bag to the foot of my bed. I rested my head against my headboard, getting lost in the song. I never even heard the door open.

"Daniel James Fenton," my mom declared unhappily. I looked up in surprise when she made herself known. Oh, crap, I'm in trouble. "Didn't I say that CD was not suitable for you!"

"Mom," I asked, my eyes wide. "I can explain!"

"Then start explaining," Mom said, crossing her arms across her chest.

"It was a Christmas gift," I defended. "I didn't buy it."

"Someone gave you that CD," Mom asked. "You didn't ask for it specifically."

"No," I said. Not exactly. Does wanting it in my mind and the person who gave it to you can read minds count as asking for it specifically? Not in my book. "I swear, it was a gift. It's not that bad!"

"Not that bad," Mom demanded. "That group is completely lawless. Listen to that! They're singing about ignoring and disobeying your parents. Is that the way you feel? Is that what has been creating this rebellion lately?"

"What," I asked, confused. "No! That song isn't about you guys," I defended. "I've just got this stuff to do. I'm not disobeying because a song tells me to. I'm not that shallow."

"Media is a powerful influence," Mom said in a typical voice. How many parents say that to their children?

"I'm sure it is," I replied gently, "but I do what I want and not what some artist or actor tells me to do."

"Good boy," Mom smiled at me. "I'm not sure about this group, though. It's dark themes they sing about, right."

"It's just music," I tried to put her mind to ease. Mom sighed but walked out of my room. I heaved a sigh of my own. That could have ended badly.

After picking up Sam, we headed for Tucker's house. Before I even walked through the door, I knew I owed Tucker an apology. I walked through the door to hear Mom Number Two lecturing Tucker about how when she says he can't have a certain CD she means it. Mom called Mom Number Two and now Tucker was getting the third degree. I guess Mom must have checked Tuck's music files because Tucker doesn't have the CD, only the tracks.

"Mom," I spoke softly. "He got it from me."

"Maddie told me," Mom replied. "You're in trouble, too, mister. But the fact is that Tucker knew I didn't want him having that CD and he still downloaded it."

"It's not that bad of a CD," Tucker defended. "I don't see what the big fuss is!"

"The big fuss," Mom shot back, "is I've actually listened to the CD front to back. You children probably don't even understand half of it. These people are targeting young audiences and they sing about things their audience can't understand. However they put a good beat to it so the children drink it up. It's outrageous!"

"Plenty of artists do that," Sam interjected. "But we understand the difference between right and wrong. I fell in love with 'Home' but I'll be the first to say there isn't much more on the CD. They had potential."

"What are you talking about," Tucker turned to her in shock. "That CD executed it's potential perfectly. Maybe even more than I expected."

"I'll admit it has some rockin' cuts," I smiled at him. "But my favorites are still the ones they released. I like Wake Up, Let You Down and Scared but that's about it besides the ones they released."

"I love, love, love Burn," Tucker admitted. "Now or Never and Born Like This are awesome and I agree with you about Wake Up and Scared. But Let You Down? Why would you like that song?"

"You didn't think he would," Sam asked, looking at Tucker. "That's the one I'd like to kill them for recording. You know how Danny's become."

"I didn't really get what it was about I guess," Tucker replied, worriedly. "What was it about?"

"That's my point," Mom retorted. "None of those songs should make sense to you kids."

"We're not kids," I defended. "I get almost all of them. 'Born Like This's' meaning escapes me, though."

"Meanings are overrated," Tucker waved it off. "You'll need to fill me in on 'Let You Down', though."

"Don't worry about it," I replied, brushing it off as well. "Can we go to school now, Mom?"

"Yes," Mom resigned. "Just next time I say you can't have a CD, please listen to me."

"You shouldn't worry about us and our ability to be molded as much," I remarked. "We're smart, we'll figure it out."

"I know," Mom smirked. "Maybe that's the problem. You're not fifteen yet and you seem to be grown up already."

"In a way," Sam remarked, "We are. Let's go, guys."

Tucker picked up his pack and swung it over his shoulder.

XXX

School was a buzz today. All the students were chatting about their experience and trying to figure out the mystery. So many of them had ghost powers and they couldn't figure it out. The ghost attacks remained consistent today like usual and I headed out during every ghost sense. I decided not to fight it anymore. I stopped asking for permission. What was the worse they could do? I knew the Secretary of Education on a personal level. How many of them could say that?

That night, I was doing some homework in my room when my computer kicked on. I looked in that direction, expecting to see Sam or Tucker but the sight caused me to go in shock. After a few moments, I started laughing as I started to piece it together. "Kevin," I asked, standing up from my bed. "I haven't talked to you in a while!"

"Tell me about it," Kevin said, his voice hard. My smile faded as I realized what this was. It was an intervention. "You used to call us every month—at least! We haven't talked to you in two months, Radar!"

I sat down on my computer chair. It was only Kevin on the monitor but give them some time. Soon, everyone from the Ghost Hunters Youth Camp would be online. "I know," I said sadly. "I've been really busy, lately. I've barely had time to breathe."

The dual screen turned to five boxes and these three blonde haired girls, slightly older than me, showed up on screen. I knew who they were. "Hi, Danny," the girls chorused.

I smiled softly, wondering what I was going to do with the triplets. "You guys couldn't be on the same computer," I asked with a smirk.

"Don't you want to see us in all our glory," one of the triplets asked. There was no system to the way they dressed, they wore their hair the same and they sounded the same. They've always been 'the triplets' to me.

"Okay," I spoke up. "Names! Now."

"Ali!"

"Ava!"

"Ana!"

Okay, Ava was the one who responded. I made a mental note of what box held what triplet.

"So, Danny," Ali began, "What's been going on that's kept you from talking with us?"

I chuckled, relaxing back in my chair and crossing my arms across my chest. "Where do I begin? I've been really busy lately."

"Doing what," Ana asked me.

I could feel myself being boxed in. These guys were my friends. They were my real friends, not like Sam and Tucker who are family. I didn't want to lie to them but I wasn't going to tell them that I'm half ghost. We're not that close. "You know, just normal teenager stuff. I've been hanging out with Sam and Tucker."

"Did we do something wrong," Kevin asked me.

"No," I declared. "It's just… I've been really busy. Things aren't the same anymore."

"And you can't tell us what's wrong," Ava remarked.

"There's nothing you guys can do from where you are," I replied, my voice soft. "So there's no reason to worry."

"If you can't talk to us, then there's reason for concern," Kevin remarked. Kevin was older than I was and he was actually the senior member of the camp.

A chill ran through me and I gasped as my ghost sense went off. I groaned, "Guys, I'm gonna have to run out for a bit. I imagine the others will be joining you?"

"They can," Ali remarked. "It was just Kevin at first."

"So this wasn't an intervention," I asked, surprised. "Well, I owe you an apology, Kevin."

"No harm, no foul," Kevin remarked. "I just saw that you were online when I came online."

"I'm always online," I remarked. "Sometimes Sam and Tucker need to get a hold of me right away." The sense became stronger. "Guys, I really got to go. I'll talk to you guys later!"

"See ya," Kevin replied. "Keep in contact."

"I'll try," I said, clicking off the connection.

XXX

The days were becoming eerily similar. I was constantly swamped and what was so terrible about it was how normal that was becoming. If I had a moment to breathe, it felt like I was being crushed by the apprehension. I knew something always happens in those moments of silence so I've come to dread them. I'd rather things stay loud so I'll know what's going off. When things are silent, it's completely terrifying. Absolutely no control. At least during the moments of chaos, I have a grip on the raging bull.

School was spent juggling classes, ghosts and sleepless nights. Evenings were spent juggling homework, ghosts, putting the house in order, putting HQ in order and dealing with the children. Nights were all about the ghosts; there was no room to juggle anything during that time. Vlad became accustomed to being the last of my concerns as I dealt with the ghosts however I've come to recognize when he's moody. To prevent some poor ghost from meeting an early oblivion, I'll abandon the ghost effort and satisfy him (literally).

Things were becoming routine for the normal things in our lives but the shit hit the fan on Friday, February 18, 2005. Tensions between the C-crew and us have been running high since we lead the investigation against the Axion Labs and the animal cruelty allegation but they will never cease after this day. I have to admit I was startled to find ten upperclassmen surround me on that Friday but it was no big deal. It would take an entire battalion to hold me down, I'll admit. But I was curious; why the sudden onslaught.

They admitted to me that this involved more than me. The leader of the group, not Gary but another one, told me that Gary's plan was to take out the 'Dweebs' once and for all. He knew where they planned on taking out Tucker but he didn't have a clue as to where Sam's attack was supposed to happen. Things were happening too fast. I could handle myself but if Gary and his cronies were attacking Sam and Tucker, the numbers would be too great.

I went to the library and to my disgust, one of the teachers stood outside the room. Mrs. Bowyer was one of the original teachers who had stuck it out through the ghosts but not anymore. I made my threat clear; if she did not leave town, not only would she lose her job but she would face criminal charges. I made it clear that Sam, Tuck and I were federal agents and she would be an accessory to the attempted murder of a federal agent. It didn't take her long to scram. If she ever returns, I won't hesitate to exercise my power.

When I made it into the library, five upperclassmen had beaten Tucker with ball bats. It boiled my blood and I know I lost control. Tucker was seriously hurt but it's not to say that the opposing team had gotten off Scott free. Tucker tried his best to defend against them but they were just too much. This drew the line. This was no longer two parties who didn't agree. This was war. They were willing to kill us. Now, I was willing to kill them.

After I took down the two of them with the ball bats, the remaining three scrammed. Seriously hurt and outmatched, the two I faced fled as well. I healed Tucker using my powers but I knew we weren't out of the woods yet. Sam was still unaccounted for and I had no idea where she was. Tucker wasted no time dwelling on what happened to him, putting his anger away to look for Sam. Just as he was synchronizing her cell phone with his PDA, mine rang.

It was her phone but she couldn't talk to us. I could hear the men in the background and I knew they hadn't touched her but I knew time was ticking away. I had never felt so powerless in my life—not even with Vlad. Sitting there on that line, her being able to hear me but I unable to help her. I had nothing I could do. I tried to sense her out but she was more than a mile away from me. I couldn't fly the skies searching for her signature. It would take too long. Finally, Tucker traced her call.

I took Tucker's arm, putting a shield around us. I couldn't allow Tucker to fly himself and I couldn't fly the normal speed. I hit mock speeds, only the second time I'd done it with someone else, and flew to the location. The sight caused a reaction I couldn't explain. There are moments I can't remember from that day. Sam laid unconscious and I realized why I never heard her voice. Calling me was the last thing she consciously done.

Sam was completely stripped of her clothing and her arms and legs were bound. Around her waist was a chain and attached to the chain was a cinderblock. They were on the Axion Labs property and more specific, the ravine that ran through it. They weren't just going to rape her, they weren't just going to kill her; they were going to rape her and then kill her by drowning her. My throat clogged and I don't remember breathing. I saw red. I wanted blood. I wanted Gary's blood.

The last thing I clearly remember was Tucker's announcement. "You just made the biggest fucking mistake of your pathetic lives!"

I remember hitting Gary. I remember the force of that hit breaking his jaw and shattering every tooth in his head. I remember tearing into that group, all thirty of the ones who had gathered, including the fifteen that had attacked Tuck and I, taking no prisoners. I didn't kill anyone but I'm certain if it had been just a handful, I would have. I remember Tucker fighting them. I remember the cowards fleeing and I remember screaming at them. What it was I screamed at them I'm not sure, but I remember the pent up anger and the truthfulness of my words.

I remember phasing my hand in Sam, allowing the drugs they had intoxicated her with to drain from her system. I also remember how Sam seemed to soothe me more than I was soothing her. Sam and Tucker stayed at my house that night and the next morning, I gave them the guns. Just as I had predicted last month, they refused to use them but I was too angry. It was an order and they accepted it like the cadets they were.

As Saturday wore on, we began talking about it with less reactions. Sam told me that she had been dragged from her own bedroom when they took her and I realized that because she kept her window open, they had easy access. She refused to close it and honestly, I didn't know how to get around that. So we talked to my parents and Mom happened to have something like we were wanting already invented. Mom installed it in her room without any question.

The following week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, I had to deal with some pirate kid who kidnapped a large majority of the adults (and my sister). Following that, the buzz around school hit an all-time high. However, the biggest shock came on the last day of the month, Monday, February 28, 2005. Never in a million years would I have expected to walk in that day and find Vlad in my house. He managed to keep his distance from my family and I appreciated that. But there he was, in my house.

Today was the first day of the new month, Tuesday, March 1, 2005. I looked worse today that I normally do not because I got no sleep (which was the case) but because Vlad stayed in my room. With as often as my parents, my sister or my friends come into my room unannounced, the mental stress did a number on me. However, we managed to remain undiscovered. My patients were running thin and I wasn't in the mood to deal with Dash and his hijinks. Today, I didn't allow him to have his fun or back up my friends when they challenged him. Today, I did the challenging.

After giving Dash a pretty good headache, I tried to go deal with the massive ghost invasion. I knew nothing about today was normal. All the ghosts had fled, Vlad was hiding in my house, a massive onslaught of ghosts had attacked (green ghosts no less) and Valerie had been involved. The sword in the ground just made it worse (along with my headache. Why couldn't Fright Nut just say what he means instead of making us break the code?).

Things were not looking good. To make things worse, I was pairing up with my enemies to try to defend my town. Talk about enemy of my enemy stuff! This was serious. Whoever this guy was, he had no rival. Not even that suit would be enough without the right person… and time was running out.

I had to get some answers but the important questions were already beginning to answer themselves. "Meet me outside. The Specter Speeder's in the shed this week because of the suit. I have something I need to do."

"Okay," Sam replied as she and Tucker stood up. I floated out of the closet and went into my bedroom. I pulled out a sheet of paper and stared at it. My throat choked up as I came to terms with what I needed to do.

_Mom,_

_This really is difficult to write and I don't have a lot of time but if you're reading this, and I'm pretty sure you will be, I will be dead._

_ Before I get into this, I want you to know first and foremost that I love you more than anything. I don't want to die but there are responsibilities that we all must answer to. This one is mine._

_ I've known about the issue with this ghost since yesterday and I can't really explain everything. Tell Sam and Tucker that it's okay. It's over guys, you don't have to continue to lie. Tell them everything we're going to figure out—they're going through enough already. I have to do this, I'm the only one who can. This is too big for me to leave on someone else. Anyone in that suit will die and the job needs to be finished before they do. At least I know I can finish the job before it's too late._

_Mom, Dad, I want to say I'm so sorry for screwing up these last few months. I tried to do the right thing but when you're like the bad guys, people tend to stereotype. I never meant to hurt anyone, especially my parents. When I fired at you after Christmas, I really thought you were possessed too. I hope you can forgive me and you'll love me after this. Remember the good times and know that I'm okay with my decision. _

_I'll see you on the other side,_

_Daniel "Danny" James Fenton_

_Aka Danny Phantom_

I turned invisible, folding the piece of paper up. I couldn't write down everything but that covered all the important issues. I wouldn't return from this. If that guy didn't finish me, that suit would. I just hoped I could hold off enough to complete the job.

I tucked the piece of paper away in Mom's good jewelry box. When it happens, she'll pull out her good jewelry for my funeral. I just hoped I'd have a body for them to bury. I also hoped I had a hereafter to go to. Before I flew to join Sam and Tucker, I went into the lab and reset the passcodes. When I was gone, I couldn't have Sam and Tucker try to turn half ghost. Especially when I wouldn't be there to protect them and help them.

We went to get some answers and the countdown to my death began.

XXX

On the roof, it was really difficult. I knew this was my last moments. I couldn't deny it any more. It took everything in my power not to shut down right there and then I saw their faces. They were scared of losing me. I couldn't allow them to be afraid. Oh, God, how difficult it was to tell them I'd be okay when I knew myself I wouldn't return from this. Looking at Sam and Tucker, especially Sam, it was hard to keep from breaking down.

"But if there's anything you wanted to say to me," I spoke softly, "now might be a good time to do it." I couldn't tell Sam how I felt. I couldn't tell her about the future we'd never have now. I couldn't put that kind of pressure on her. However, if she truly loved me, then she would do it with as much uncertainty that hung in the air. However, she didn't say anything. The King showed up and I had to go yet she didn't say anything.

It was just too soon and now it'd never happen.

"I'm going to need you to drop the ghost shield for me, Tuck," I replied as I rectified myself. I couldn't focus on what I was losing; I had to think of what I was giving to those I loved.

"You got it," Tucker replied, his attitude doing a one-eighty. My attempt to convince him I'd return worked but I'm not sure if I convinced Sam. She still had that shattered look to her. "Be careful, dude."

I gave a smile in their direction but I knew safety was the last thing I could afford right now. Defeating this guy would take everything in my soul. I triggered the rings and surprisingly it changed the suit to mirror my costume. Tucker gave me a thumbs up and Sam gave me a small smile. Maybe they'd be all right. I love you guys. I'm so sorry.

I flew into the air and headed into the heart of the Zone. From below me, a group had assembled on the streets. Paulina screamed out a cheer. "Go get them, Invisobill!"

Some good that note will do if my parents don't know my ghost form's name. "It's not Invisobill," I screamed out, making sure all heard me. "It's Phantom! Danny Phantom!" At least now they'll know who's dying for them. At least they'll know that even if they won't care. Even if they'll never truly understand what I'm giving up for them.

XXX

The suit drained me faster than I could have imagined. I tried to conserve the energy but it took so much just to run it. I was already down to forty when I first faced the King. The numbers kept going up and while that puzzled me, nothing was quite as confusing as why the suit displayed a 025 instead of just a 25 like it done before I duplicated. Whatever the reason, it stopped once I was just one again. As I pressed against the sarcophagus, I watched the display. Twelve. Ten. Eight. Six. Four. Finally, the King's screams ceased and the ghosts surrounded me.

I was so weak I could barely hold my head up. I looked back at the display and it read two. It's been a fun fourteen years. "…but you never really did," Vlad finished his ranting. I felt my body shutting down and I collapsed. "Daniel? Daniel!" Everything went black.

XXX

I opened my eyes groggily surprised to see the insides of a house instead of the Ghost Zone or… nothing, to be honest. "What," I asked. I struggled to sit up but I couldn't find the strength.

"Sit back down," I heard Vlad's voice. I looked around and found him over top of me, his hands on my side. "I want you to conserve this energy, Daniel. You are way too weak!"

"What happened," I asked, lying back in the bed. Everything hurt. I felt so drained. I could barely hear my own heart beat and my sight was fuzzy.

"The suit completely shut off," Vlad shot at me. "Why didn't you tell me it was killing you?"

"I don't know," I replied. I took a shallow breath, trying to relax. "Why am I not hurting back there?"

Vlad paused for a moment, his hands still on me. Energy radiated off of him and into me. "I couldn't…"

I was confused. "You couldn't get it up?"

"No," Vlad replied. His voice was hard and he found no humor in my statement. "I couldn't hurt you, Daniel! Damn it, I can't take this. I can't deny it anymore!"

"What are you talking about," I asked, confused. I tried to sit up again but Vlad pushed me back down.

"Damn it, Daniel. Sit still and conserve your energy. You're too damn weak! You dug into the reserves meant to keep you alive! Don't ever dig into those reserves!"

"I don't understand."

"Our powers… they're meant to keep us alive. That's their only goal. The very depths of our powers is a last ditch effort to save our lives. Once that reserve is used up, we die. You dug into that reserve, Daniel. You were dying!"

"Why do you care," I asked. I tried to make my voice go high but I just didn't have the strength.

"I love you," Vlad yelled. He hung his head, his voice going soft. "I love you. Seeing you there, lying on that floor—dying! I have never been so scared as I ripped you from that suit. I could see you slip away. You stopped breathing. Your oxygen reserves stopped sending oxygen to your brain. Your brain stopped preforming. You were dying. As soon as the energy left my body, you drank it up like a damn sponge. Your body was so desperate for power it soaked it up before it left my body."

"Vlad, this can't be. You can't love me. You're raping me."

"I know," Vlad replied softly. "But you have no idea how badly I wished things had started differently. When I'm with you, I feel. I know the same thing happens to you, but I haven't felt anything since Mom died. I'm not just talking about the half ghost side effects. I couldn't feel before that for nine years."

"You mean a different kind of feeling," I replied, realization dawning on me. "Human emotions."

"Yes," Vlad replied. "I'm not sure I could ever hurt you again. Before, I covered my feelings by saying I wanted the feeling but I could still rape you if you refused. Now… I don't think I can. You have gotten me so sick, Daniel. Watching you die has made me realize something. I need you. I don't just want you, I need you. But I can't just have possession of you; I need you to feel the same way."

"I-," I began, but my voice caught.

"I know it's hard but this is what I've come up with. I can't just own you. Bitches don't own a piece of their masters. You own me, Daniel. You're not a bitch anymore. My heart is no longer my own. I'm yours."

"I'm not sure what you're saying," I admitted.

"Be with me," Vlad said, looking into my eyes. "When I release you, come back to me."

"I'm not gay," I declared. "I've never found this enjoyable!"

"You've never had sex with a man," Vlad replied. "You may find this hard to believe, but I have had willing partners."

"You mean willing sex. Not rape, not a desire for the feeling, sex because that's what I want," I asked for clarification.

"Yes," Vlad answered. "I will allow you to advance at your own pace. Just please, give me a chance."

"I'm not gay," I declared again.

"How do you know," Vlad finally challenged me. "Without trying it, how do you know?"

"I love Sam," I declared.

"Does she love you back," Vlad asked me.

My mind went over the minutes on the roof. I asked her. But I also didn't want to tell her my feelings because of the fear of never living them. "Okay," I said, looking at him. "Give me some time. Let me see how this plays out. If she doesn't say anything, I'll know it's not meant to be. My dreams change all the time. Just because I liked the dream doesn't mean I should put as much faith in it as I have."

Vlad nodded, continuing to pump energy in my body. I still struggled to keep my strength up so eventually the action got the best of me. I passed out.

XXX

"Danny," I heard a soft voice. "Danny?" I opened my eyes but recognized my surroundings immediately.

"What," I asked, looking around the room. Mom, Dad, Jazz, Sam, Tucker, Vlad, Valerie and her Dad were there. "What happened?"

"You gave us quite the scare there, Little Badger," Vlad replied.

"Vladdy found you outside the dome," Dad said, worry evident on his face. "He saved your life!"

"Things might have been weird there for a while but if Vlad saved your life then I say bygones," Mom declared, looking at me with love and worry.

I tried sitting up again but still couldn't find the energy. Sam placed her hand on my chest and I sat back. I looked up to see Sam and Tucker's smiling faces. I smiled back at them. "He's still too weak," Sam replied. "Everyone out!"

"Wait," I said, softly. "I just wanted to say I love you all," I replied softly. "And thanks, Vlad."

"Anytime, Little Badger," Vlad said, his eyes kind and concerned. I took a deep breath but it hurt as I inhaled.

"Okay, out," Sam ordered. Sam pushed everyone out and I fell back to sleep.

XXX

Wednesday became clearer as I started to build my strength. Whatever fluid Sam had me on was doing wonders but I was still so weak. I kept noticing how outside my door, everything was so loud. Every time Sam and Tucker came in to check up on me, the sounds outside my room would reach me but when they closed the door, the sounds would disappear. I knew they had the soundproof walls on but I couldn't figure out why it was so loud outside. Sam and Tucker wouldn't let me know anything so I just sat there, staring at the walls.

I watched some TV, studied, played video games and even doodled some but nothing seemed to alleviate the boredom. Who knew I could survive the King and the suit but die of boredom? I had the TV in my room on but I wasn't really watching it. The door to my room opened softly and I heard some voices. "They're not in here. Come on." I looked up to see Dash, Kwan, Paulina, Star, Annie, Ashley, Katrina and Mikey come in the room.

"Hi," I said, confused. "Can I help you? How did you guys get in here?"

"How are you feeling," Star asked me, her eyes welling with tears.

"Fine," I lied. I felt like crap but it had nothing to do with low energy levels. A guy could die of boredom in this room.

"What happened, Fenton," Dash asked. "How on Earth did you get out of that dome?"

"I'm not sure," I replied. "How did you guys know about this? Is Sam and Tucker talking about this at school?"

"School was cancelled today," Kwan answered. "No power."

"No power," I replied, looking to my light. "It's fine to me."

"This is the only place that has power," Annie replied. "Nearly the entire town is here. The power company is trying to restore the power but it's not an easy task."

"What happened to the power," I asked, confused.

"The entire town was ripped from Earth," Kwan remarked. "It didn't exactly go cleanly. All the power lines leading into town were destroyed. They're rewiring the entire town."

"He doesn't need to worry about that," Star shot at Kwan. "Just get better, Danny."

"I'm fine," I replied. "I'll be in school tomorrow… providing we have school."

The door swung open again and one very upset Sam stood in the doorway. "How many times do I have to say this. Out!"

"Sam," I tried to calm her down.

"We're going," Star replied. She took my hand in hers. "Thank you. We owe you everything," she spoke. I stared at her in shock while her comrades started laughing. "Get well."

Star stormed out of the room in a huff while the others trailed behind her, laughing. "What was that about," I asked, looking at Sam.

"I don't know," Sam replied. "I don't really care. Your pulse is still only one hundred and thirty. You need it to be more like One-eighty. Your temperature is only one-fifty. Your hypothermic. Your blood pressure is…"

"I get it," I smiled weakly at her. "I'm bad."

"Too bad," Sam said, crossing the floor. She started testing me again and I felt like a stupid lab rat. Finally, she jotted down everything on her pad and rubbed my hair. "Get some sleep."

"If I sleep anymore, I'll be diagnosed with Sleep Apnea."

Sam smiled weakly at me but walked out, leaving me alone. This ordeal has made me understand the song 'Hello, Walls' by Jim Reeves. And I thought I'd never get that song!

XXX

With the following day came silence. I guess the power lines were repaired and rewired because the house was uncharacteristically quiet for as of late. However Dr. Sam still didn't release me from bed rest. The day after that, I was out of bed but not allowed back in the land of the living. I did sneak out though and destroy that note. I left no room for chances and actually burned it. I paced my room several times and got scolded each time Sam or Tucker came in the room. Not even Tuck would give me any slack.

When my alarm went off the next day, I made my mind up. I walked out of my room and everyone was already up. I dressed and came down the stairs.

"Danny," Mom cried as everyone snapped their heads up to me. "What are you doing out of bed!"

"I'm sick of staring at those damn walls," I said, grabbing a bowl. "I'm better. Since Sam and Tucker won't release me, I'm releasing myself."

"I'm still not satisfied with your energy levels," Sam admitted. "Your vitals are normal but you are still pretty weak."

"That's because I have a new enemy: boredom," I declared. "I'm not going back to that room until bedtime. I'm okay now."

Tucker grinned a sad smile at me. "Okay," Tucker replied.

"No, not okay," Sam declared. "You need to build your strengths. You can't be overloading yourself."

I poured a bowl of Froot Loops and poured the milk over them. "I'm not going back to bed. There is only so much a guy can take."

"I guess," Mom replied. "But you're staying home! I won't allow you to leave the house."

"I'm getting back to my life," I demanded. The suit didn't kill me so I won't go about the rest of my life like I'm dead.

"Sweetie," Mom spoke softly.

"No," I declared. "I'm tired of feeling like this. I ready to start living my life again!"

"What your mother means is you still need to build your strengths. You can do that out of your bedroom but you're not allowed to leave the house."

I finished my bowl of cereal, swallowing the milk in one gulp. "Try to stop me," I said, standing up. "You guys can stay home today, but I'm going to school!"

I walked towards the door, every chair there scooting away from the table. Everyone cried my name. Sam grabbed me first followed by Tucker. Dad grabbed Tucker and tried to help hold me back. Mom and Jazz brought in the rear. Like I said, a battalion.

I heard Tucker grunt. "Damn it," he declared. "Why do I even bother? Danny, it's Saturday!"

I stopped, causing everyone to fall around me. I felt the blood rush to my cheeks. "It is," I asked, feeling like I could die from embarrassment. Of all the things trying to take me out this week.

"Yes," Mom declared. "I thought you were talking about going to the Nasty Burger or something. Not school!"

"Then why is everyone up at seven o'clock," I asked, confused. I started to help everyone to their feet.

"We haven't been sleeping too well," Mom replied honestly. "We had no idea the ghost situation could get so bad and Sam, Tucker and Jazz have been worried sick about you. Nights have been pretty long around here lately."

"Well, I think he's got his strength back," Dad said, laughing. All but Sam and Tucker were laughing. My heavy breathing spoke volumes.

XXX

On Monday, I apologized to Dash for picking on him the last week. He forgave me by 'saluting' me on the flag. Of course, to prevent any more humiliation, I used my powers to hook myself on that pole. He wanted to make a point and was tossing me to the top. After the fifth try, I just hooked myself. Do like normal people do, Dash. Holst me up from the ground!

Monday was not normal, though. The ghosts were absent and had been for six days now and my 'famous' quote had spread like wildfire. In every class, the students were talking about the Invisobill/Phantom quote. They went nuts for the thing.

I kept waiting for Sam to say something but as the week hit hump day, I was realizing she wasn't going to say anything. Wednesday I flew to my house in Elemerton. We still hadn't finished furnishing the place but we completed the repairs. Vlad was living there full time now. I walked into the house without announcing myself.

"Daniel," Vlad replied, looking at me in shock. "What are you doing here?"

"I haven't seen you in a while," I replied. "Not for a week."

"Your friends know," Vlad replied. "And they were pissed. I didn't put it past them to rat me out to your parents so I left."

"But I've been better for four days," I replied. "You haven't come by during that time."

"Why would I," Vlad asked. Okay, this is weird. "Daniel, you were unconscious but I released you. You've been a free boy for eight days."

"You released me," I asked, confused. "Released me from what?"

"Your services," Vlad replied. "You're no longer a bitch. You've been pardoned, a first let me tell you."

"You really let me go," I replied. "Just like that."

"I gave up a while ago about you returning my feelings. I can't just own you. It doesn't work that way."

"I've given Sam plenty of time," I spoke softly. "And I've given your offer some thought." I took a shaky breath and walked forward. "I can wait forever for something that may never come," I said, stopping just in front of him, "Or I can seize what's in front of me." I tentatively wrapped my arms around his neck and prepared to take that plunge. Gently pulling him down to my level, my lips caressed his. My stomach was in knots as I put myself in the kiss. I closed my eyes, allowing myself to see in my mind for the first time who I was really kissing.

Vlad returned the kiss, his heart racing as I gave my heart and soul to him. Finally, I broke the kiss. "I just ask for one thing in return," I spoke softly.

"Anything," Vlad replied, his breathing ragged.

"Don't break my heart," I spoke softly. "I've had so much broken in my life and most of it has been your fault. I've given you a clean slate here. The rape never happened. You never hurt me. We're both pure here. All you have to give me is a promise to never hurt me again willingly. If you do, I'm gone."

"I promise," Vlad whispered. I pushed aside these feelings of regret and doubt. There are no preconceived notions. I don't know that this will end badly.

**AN: And that's it for Bitter UNIONS! The chapter companions will be posted every third chapter, just as they appear on my profile page. When I post chapter four, I will post one through three. Four through six will be posted on my seventh update. My entire profile page (with the exception of the timeline) will go down Sunday.**

**Tomorrow I will post the first chapter of Danny's Story, Part 2: New Beginnings. Just as it is for Bitter UNIONS, the story will be titled as its subtitle only. I look forward to hearing from you in the second installment. Take care and thank you for all the feedback I've received.**


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